PETRONAS and ENEOS expand energy partnership to include hydrogen

LONDON (ICIS)–PETRONAS and ENEOS Corp on Friday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a competitive, clean hydrogen supply chain between Malaysia and Japan, and explore other hydrogen opportunities.

The pair will embark on a “technical-commercial joint-study of a hydrogen supply chain which includes hydrogen production and its transportation in methylcyclohexane (MCH) form”.

MCH form is where hydrogen is converted from its original gaseous state into a liquid form to enable large volume deliveries.

PETRONAS, whose product portfolio includes ammonia (widely seen as the best carrier of hydrogen) and urea, already produces low carbon hydrogen from its facilities and will soon explore the commercial production of green hydrogen.

“We are proud to expand our three-decade long energy partnership with ENEOS to include hydrogen, on top of what we have established in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) space,” said PETRONAS Gas + new energy EVP and CEO, Adnan Zainal Abidin.

“With emerging clean energy sources like hydrogen, innovation and collaboration with partners in technological development are key, as they contribute towards achieving cost competitiveness and scalability for wider use across businesses and industries.”

ENEOS has applied for funding from the Japanese government’s Green Innovation Fund which sponsors decarbonisation projects and initiatives.

The MoU stems from a common aspiration held by both PETRONAS and ENEOS of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

In 2020, PETRONAS announced its intent to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as part of its holistic approach towards sustainability, while ENEOS is working towards achieving its carbon neutral ambition via its Environmental Vision 2040.