
TOKYO: Japan is looking at methane hydrate as a new source of energy, with reports stating that there is a large amount of methane hydrate on the seabed of Japan that could represent 100 years’ worth of energy.
Methane hydrate is an ice-like crystal in which water molecules trap methane molecules. It is stable under conditions of cold temperature and high pressure and mainly exists in the deep sea or under permafrost. Surveys have revealed that it is particularly abundant in the deep-sea areas around Japan, such as the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.
Since Japan relies on imports for much of its energy resources, securing domestic energy resources is an important issue, so Japan hopes that methane hydrate will be a new energy source that can be extracted domestically.
In the 2010s, the world’s first test mining from the seabed was successfully carried out, and this achievement is considered a big step toward commercialization. However, further technological innovation and cost reduction will be required to make extraction viable.
The government and private companies are working together to commercialize methane hydrate in a sustainable manner.
How Japan utilizes this resource has the potential to not only improve its energy self-sufficiency rate but also help solve global issues.