Six leading Japanese industrial corporations have been selected by the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) to undertake design work for a major ship-based carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in Okayama Prefecture.
Sumitomo Corporation, Asahi Kasei Corporation, ENEOS Corporation, JFE Steel Corporation, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation have signed a formal service agreement with JOGMEC following a competitive public solicitation for fiscal year 2026. The initiative focuses on the Mizushima industrial complex in Kurashiki City, aiming to establish shared infrastructure for carbon dioxide separation, capture, liquefaction, temporary storage, and maritime transport.
The Mizushima cluster represents one of Japan’s primary industrial heavyweights, housing extensive steelmaking, chemical, automotive, and energy operations. Due to the concentration of heavy industrial emitters where electrification and direct renewable energy integration remain challenging, collective CCS deployment is viewed as critical to achieving the area’s green transformation goals.
Under the framework, the consortium will perform detailed engineering and economic feasibility studies to build a unified supply chain. By sharing liquefaction, storage, and port shipping facilities across multiple companies rather than developing standalone sites, the group aims to reduce overall capital and operational expenditure.
The project plans to handle approximately 3.43 million tonnes of liquefied carbon dioxide annually, making it the largest shipping volume among CCS clusters under development in Japan. If successfully commercialised, the Mizushima hub is expected to serve as a national model for industrial decarbonisation via marine transport.
