據管道&天然氣雜志網6月27日報道，日本最大的城市燃氣供應商東京燃氣有限公司（Tokyo Gas Co.Ltd.）上周五表示，已開始甲烷化試驗項目，這是一種幫助城市燃氣脫碳的技術，并計劃到明年3月使用可再生能源中的綠色氫進行試驗。

甲烷化將氫氣和二氧化碳轉化為合成甲烷，作為天然氣主要成分的替代品。這被認為是一種利用二氧化碳作為原材料的方法，可以幫助該公司在2050年實現碳中和。

甲烷的用途很多，包括在發電廠或家庭中作為燃料產生熱量和電力，以及作為化學工業的原材料。

對于旨在生產12.5標準立方米/小時合成甲烷的第一階段試驗，東京燃氣已在其位于東京附近橫濱的研究中心安裝了Hitachi Zosen甲烷化裝置，并開始從外部獲取氫氣和二氧化碳生產燃料。

東京燃氣公司的執行總裁Yakabe Hisataka在媒體參觀這些設施時表示，該公司計劃到明年3月份安裝英國ITM電力公司生產的電解水裝置，并使用可再生的氫氣生產合成甲烷。其還將利用附近工廠或客戶排放和捕獲的二氧化碳。

東京燃氣公司的目標是到2030年，用合成甲烷取代約1%的城市天然氣。將在本世紀20年代末擴大試驗規模，每小時生產400標準立方米，然后在2030年進行海外示范，每小時生產2萬標準立方米。

Yakabe表示，最大的挑戰是降低成本。并他補充道，即使有廉價的海外可再生能源和更低的制氫成本，2030年左右的甲烷化成本將遠遠高于液化天然氣的價格。降低成本必須通過多種措施來實現。

東京燃氣公司還試圖建立合成甲烷的全球供應鏈，與住友公司（Sumitomo Corp.）和馬石油（Petronas）在馬來西亞進行可行性研究，并與三菱公司（Mitsubishi Corp.）在北美和澳大利亞進行可行性研究。

郝芬 譯自 管道&天然氣雜志網

原文如下：

Tokyo Gas Begins Synthetic Methane Trial Using Green Hydrogen

Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd., Japan's top city gas supplier, said on Friday it has begun a pilot program of methanation, a technology to help decarbonize city gas, and plans to use green hydrogen sourced from renewable energy for the trial by next March.

Methanation converts hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) into synthetic methane, an alternative for the main component in natural gas. It is considered a way of using CO2 as a raw material that could help the company achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

Methane can be used in many ways, including as a fuel to generate heat and electricity in power plants or at home, and as a raw material for the chemical industry.

For the first-phase trial aimed at producing 12.5 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/h) synthetic methane, Tokyo Gas has installed Hitachi Zosen's methanation device at its research center in Yokohama, near Tokyo, and begun producing the fuel from hydrogen and CO2 procured from outside.

It plans to install a water electrolysis device from Britain's ITM Power and use renewable-based hydrogen to produce synthetic methane by March, Hisataka Yakabe, Tokyo Gas's executive officer, said during a media tour of the facilities.

It will also use CO2 emitted and captured from nearby factories or its customers.

Tokyo Gas is aiming to replace about 1% of city gas volume with synthetic methane by 2030. It will scale up the trial in late 2020s to produce 400 Nm3/h, followed by an overseas demonstration in 2030 to make 20,000 Nm3/h.

"The biggest challenge is reducing cost," Yakabe said, adding the methanation cost around 2030 would be much higher than liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, even with inexpensive overseas renewable energy and lower hydrogen production costs.

"Cost reduction must be achieved through multiple measures," he said.

Tokyo Gas is also trying to build global supply chains of synthetic methane, conducting feasibility studies in Malaysia with Sumitomo Corp. and Petronas, and in North America and Australia with Mitsubishi Corp.