- CO₂ from Tokyo Bay factories to be captured and stored underground.
- The pipeline across the Boso Peninsula will serve nine municipalities.
- The project aims to capture 1.2–5 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2030.
A bold initiative to tackle global warming is set for Chiba Prefecture, aiming to capture carbon dioxide released by factories along Tokyo Bay for storage deep beneath the seabed. The CO₂ will travel via a pipeline that goes through the Boso Peninsula, where the project has faced criticism from certain communities.
The firms involved in the project have completed briefing the municipalities and begun information sessions for local residents, with some expressing concerns. The initiative is a component of strategies to combat global warming via a method known as carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS).
Documents indicate that the project in Chiba Prefecture, referred to as the Metropolitan Area CCS Project, is set to commence operations in 2030. Shutoken CCS K.K., a firm co-founded by INPEX Corp. and Kanto Natural Gas Development Co., will partner with Nippon Steel Corp. on this initiative.
INPEX, a major energy development firm in Japan, is located in Tokyo's Minato Ward, whereas Kanto Natural Gas Development is situated in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture.
Nippon Steel runs a steel plant in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture. CO₂ released from Nippon Steel’s production facility in the Kimitsu region and the Keiyo coastal industrial zone by Tokyo Bay will be collected after being isolated from other gases in that vicinity.
It will subsequently be conveyed through a pipeline, measuring 73 to 74 centimeters in diameter and located underground under major roads, to the ocean near Kujukuri town. Carbon dioxide will be introduced into subsurface layers via a designated injection well for permanent storage.
Although the definitive path of the pipeline traversing the Boso Peninsula has not been confirmed, it is anticipated to go through nine municipalities: Kimitsu, Kisarazu, Sodegaura, Mobara, Oamishirasato, Ichihara, Shirako, Nagara, and Kujukuri.
To endure earthquakes reaching a seismic intensity of 7 (the highest on the Japan Meteorological Agency scale), the companies will strengthen essential sections of the pipeline with mortar, including the interiors of tunnels.
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By the conclusion of the upcoming fiscal year, the fundamental design tasks, information meetings for community members, and initial conversations are anticipated to be finalized. The ultimate choice regarding the project's advancement will occur in fiscal 2027, aiming to initiate operations in 2030. The objective is to first capture around 1.2 million tons of CO₂ each year, aiming to ultimately boost the capacity to 5 million tons per year.
Japan's trade and industry ministry views CCS projects as essential for its plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. A CCS pilot project is currently being implemented in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. In 2024, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security identified nine initiatives nationwide as Advanced CCS Projects.
During debates in the Diet, worries emerged about the significant expenses of the projects, the possible hazards of carbon dioxide leakage in case of an emergency, and skepticism about the plan's viability.