Chemical Industry News, Data & Insights

TotalEnergies and Partners Develop e-NG Project in Nebraska

Key highlights
  • The Live Oak project targets 250 MW electrolysis and 75 ktpa methanation capacity.
  • Commercial operations are scheduled to begin by 2030, pending a 2027 investment decision.
  • The project will export e-NG to Japan, aiding in carbon-neutral gas goals.
  • e-NG is produced from renewable hydrogen and CO2, compatible with existing LNG infrastructure.

Project Overview

TotalEnergies, TES, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, and ITOCHU have partnered to develop the Live Oak project in Nebraska, focusing on producing electric natural gas (e-NG), also known as e-methane. The Japanese companies hold a 33.3% stake, while TotalEnergies and TES each maintain a 33.35% stake.

Technical Details

The project aims for a capacity of approximately 250 MW of electrolysis and 75 ktpa of methanation. It will leverage Nebraska's biogenic CO2 resources from bioethanol plants and the growing renewable power generation capacity in the U.S.

Timeline and Goals

The partners are preparing the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase, with a Final Investment Decision expected in 2027. Commercial operations are scheduled to begin by 2030, with plans to export e-NG to Japan. Osaka Gas and Toho Gas will be the primary offtakers, supporting their goal of injecting 1% carbon-neutral gas into the gas grid by 2030.

e-NG Characteristics

e-NG is a synthetic gas produced from renewable hydrogen and CO2, chemically identical to conventional natural gas. It can be integrated into existing LNG infrastructure without alterations to consumer equipment.