A team of industrial heavy-hitters announced Monday they would collaborate on a study to determine the potential to apply Japanese technology to carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects in Saskatchewan, Canada, and beyond.
The “Japanese Consortium” partnership involves the Japan Coal Energy Center industry organization, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, along with the International CCS Knowledge Center. The program is sponsored by the Japanese New Energy and Industrial Development Organization.
The intent is to “optimize a CCS application with [air quality control system] from the technical and commercial aspects, in order to meet with the requirements in Saskatchewan and contribute to carbon emission reduction in Canada, as well as identify potential global applications of these technologies,” according to a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries press release.
The company highlighted its carbon capture technology, the KM CDR Process, which features a properietary solvent for absorption an desorption of carbon dioxide. The system is much less energy-intensive than other such technologies, and is already in place in 11 carbon capture facilities, along with two sites being built in Japan and the United States, the release says.
Saskatchewan is home to SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Unit 3 carbon capture and storage project. The CCS know-how in the province, which the International CCS Knowledge Center can access as a partnership of SaskPower and BHP Billiton, made it a clear location for the research, Mitsubishi said.
The press release did not provide additional details of the research project, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries could not be reached for further comment by press time.