TotalEnergies and Mitsubishi join 6 others to create global e-NG coalition

TotalEnergies and seven other international companies have joined forces to create a global coalition supporting the development of production and use of e-natural gas (e-NG).

A synthetic fuel produced from renewable hydrogen and CO2, e-NG can be transported and/or liquefied and sold like natural gas, while using existing infrastructure. This means e-NG can be used by end customers without having to adapt their facilities, which makes it a promising synthetic fuel to support decarbonisation efforts.

New coalition keen to grow e-NG use

TotalEnergies, together with partners Engie, Mitsubishi Corporation, Osaka Gas, Sempra Infrastructure, TES, Tokyo Gas and Toho Gas, will pool their expertise and efforts to establish the e-NG Coalition. Its purpose is to support e-NG development in a reliable, affordable and sustainable way, including promoting use of e-NG and supporting the emergence of a global market.

The coalition also aims to foster adequate support by policymakers and the harmonisation of applicable regulation and standards, and to bolster collaboration between the various stakeholders along the entire value chain and across all geographies.

Bolstering synthetic fuel emergence

The announcement comes as TotalEnergies is involved in the Live Oak e-NG project with Tree Energy Solutions (TES), which plans to produce 100,000-200,000 tons of e-NG per year in the US by 2030. The e-NG Coalition will benefit from expertise gained by TotalEnergies through that project alongside existing expertise in renewable power generation, large-scale project management, gas liquefaction, and green hydrogen project development.

Key role amid clean fuel demands

Stéphane Michel, President, Gas, Renewables & Power at TotalEnergies, underlined the importance of contributing to the establishment of a global coalition for the development of e-NG as “a major player in LNG and renewable electricity” as well as the company’s e-NG pioneer status thanks to its Live Oak project.

“This synthetic fuel will contribute to the energy transition by facilitating the decarbonisation of certain industrial activities, particularly those that are difficult to electrify, while making use of existing downstream infrastructures,” he added.

The e-NG Coalition brings together “pioneering companies” that believe e-NG has a role to play to accelerate the energy transition towards a net-zero carbon future. It says it will seek to promote e-NG, build a global market with aligned emissions accounting and certification standards, and bolster cooperation between all stakeholders along the e-NG value chain.