Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan and Oman are set to mass produce synthetic methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide in 2026 as part of a plan to decarbonize the gas sector, Nikkei News reported.

Japanese industrial and engineering company Hitachi Zosen, which has developed synthetic methane technology, will participate in the project with Oman LNG. The project aims to lower the cost of producing synthetic methane, also known as e-methane.

In Japan, methane is widely used as an energy source in households in urban areas, emitting carbon dioxide when burned. E-methane, however, is closer to being carbon neutraland could be a solution for decarbonizing energy use in large cities.

Hitachi Zosen and Oman LNG are set to sign a memorandum of cooperation this month with construction expected to begin on a plant sometime next year. The project aims to begin mass producing e-methane in the latter half of 2026.

Oman, which lags other gas- and oil-producing nations in terms of output, has been seeking to develop decarbonization technologies to create a new pillar of income.