Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, (MHI) has secured a contract from Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. (HEPCO) for the basic design of a CO2 capture plant at the Tomato-Atsuma Power Station. The facility will use MHI’s proprietary CO2 capture technology to remove 5,200 tonnes of CO2 per day from flue gas emitted during boiler combustion. This Front End Engineering Design (FEED) marks a step towards Japan’s largest CO2 capture plant. 

 Under this project, MHI will assess the plant’s primary equipment and technical specifications, in preparation for future deployment. The initiative forms part of Japan’s advanced CCS efforts, aimed at achieving carbon neutrality. 

HEPCO is collaborating with Idemitsu Kosan Co., and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. under a contract with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC). The CCS project, selected through a government call for proposals, envisions storing captured CO2 in deep saline formations offshore from Tomakomai. Storage targets are set between 1.5 and 2 million tonne of CO2 annually by 2030. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has designated a nearby sea area as the country’s first "specified area" under the CCS Business Act, with exploratory drilling underway. 

MHI Group has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 under its MISSION NET ZERO strategy. The company is advancing decarbonisation through both demand- and supply-side solutions, with CCUS playing a key role. MHI aims to establish a global carbon capture, utilisation and storage value chain, integrating emission sources with viable storage and reuse options. Through continued innovation, MHI seeks to support global climate goals and environmental protection. 

(Photo Courtesy of Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.)