The project will enable significant carbon emissions reduction across key industrial sectors in Japan, to support the country’s ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Xodus will work with the Consortium (comprising West Japan Carbon Dioxide Storage Survey Co., Ltd. (WEST), ENEOS Corporation (ENEOS), Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-Power) and ENEOS Xplora Inc. (ENEOS Xplora)) to deliver the Offshore Western Kyushu CCS project.  

The appointment follows the formal agreement of a consignment contract between the Consortium and Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) - the Government of Japan’s incorporated administrative agency for energy and metals - earlier this fiscal year.

Under the engagement, Xodus will design the pipeline and cable geotechnical surveys for the Offshore Western Kyushu CCS project.

Having worked across energy projects in Japan for many years, Xodus now has a full-time presence in Japan and is committed to supporting the rollout of the sector.

"We are proud to play a part in the delivery of this pioneering CCS initiative, which underscores our commitment to the region and to supporting Japan’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050," said Simon Allison, Vice President – Asia Pacific, of Xodus.

"Xodus’ expertise in designing and specifying geotechnical surveys and procurement as well as CCS will be integral to the engineering design work that will ensure the success of Offshore Western Kyushu CCS. We have been providing longstanding support to Japanese investors’ CCS projects in Australia, and look forward to working with the Consortium team.”

“As part of this project we will draw on Xodus’ integrated team of experts across Asia-Pacific including Australian CCS experts and Japanese local staff, creating an offering that is tailored to the country’s unique characteristics,” said Celeste Koravos, Japan Country Manager, of Xodus. 

Earlier this fiscal year JOGMEC selected nine initiatives, including Offshore Western Kyushu CCS, as part of its Japanese Advanced CCS Projects. In May 2024, the Government of Japan passed the Act on Carbon Dioxide Storage Business, a major step towards the commercialisation of CCS in Japan.

Offshore Western Kyushu CCS is targeting the capture and storage of approximately 1.7 million tons of CO2 per year from ENEOS’s oil refineries and J-POWER’s thermal power plants located in the Setouchi and Kyushu regions. The captured emissions will be transported via ship and pipeline to saline aquifers off Japan’s south-western island of Kyushu for permanent storage.

The feasibility study for the project has commenced and is anticipated to be completed within this fiscal year paving the way for the project to enter the second phase, which covers engineering design, exploratory drilling preparations, procurement of long-lead items, and a detailed evaluation of storage potential.

Saline aquifers off the coast of Western Kyushu have been identified as potential candidates for primary CO₂ storage sites. This initiative seeks to develop a full-scale CCS value chain by 2030, encompassing CO2 separation, capture, transport, and storage.