据管道&天然气杂志网6月27日报道，日本最大的城市燃气供应商东京燃气有限公司（Tokyo Gas Co.Ltd.）上周五表示，已开始甲烷化试验项目，这是一种帮助城市燃气脱碳的技术，并计划到明年3月使用可再生能源中的绿色氢进行试验。

甲烷化将氢气和二氧化碳转化为合成甲烷，作为天然气主要成分的替代品。这被认为是一种利用二氧化碳作为原材料的方法，可以帮助该公司在2050年实现碳中和。

甲烷的用途很多，包括在发电厂或家庭中作为燃料产生热量和电力，以及作为化学工业的原材料。

对于旨在生产12.5标准立方米/小时合成甲烷的第一阶段试验，东京燃气已在其位于东京附近横滨的研究中心安装了Hitachi Zosen甲烷化装置，并开始从外部获取氢气和二氧化碳生产燃料。

东京燃气公司的执行总裁Yakabe Hisataka在媒体参观这些设施时表示，该公司计划到明年3月份安装英国ITM电力公司生产的电解水装置，并使用可再生的氢气生产合成甲烷。其还将利用附近工厂或客户排放和捕获的二氧化碳。

东京燃气公司的目标是到2030年，用合成甲烷取代约1%的城市天然气。将在本世纪20年代末扩大试验规模，每小时生产400标准立方米，然后在2030年进行海外示范，每小时生产2万标准立方米。

Yakabe表示，最大的挑战是降低成本。并他补充道，即使有廉价的海外可再生能源和更低的制氢成本，2030年左右的甲烷化成本将远远高于液化天然气的价格。降低成本必须通过多种措施来实现。

东京燃气公司还试图建立合成甲烷的全球供应链，与住友公司（Sumitomo Corp.）和马石油（Petronas）在马来西亚进行可行性研究，并与三菱公司（Mitsubishi Corp.）在北美和澳大利亚进行可行性研究。

郝芬 译自 管道&天然气杂志网

原文如下：

Tokyo Gas Begins Synthetic Methane Trial Using Green Hydrogen

Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd., Japan's top city gas supplier, said on Friday it has begun a pilot program of methanation, a technology to help decarbonize city gas, and plans to use green hydrogen sourced from renewable energy for the trial by next March.

Methanation converts hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) into synthetic methane, an alternative for the main component in natural gas. It is considered a way of using CO2 as a raw material that could help the company achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

Methane can be used in many ways, including as a fuel to generate heat and electricity in power plants or at home, and as a raw material for the chemical industry.

For the first-phase trial aimed at producing 12.5 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/h) synthetic methane, Tokyo Gas has installed Hitachi Zosen's methanation device at its research center in Yokohama, near Tokyo, and begun producing the fuel from hydrogen and CO2 procured from outside.

It plans to install a water electrolysis device from Britain's ITM Power and use renewable-based hydrogen to produce synthetic methane by March, Hisataka Yakabe, Tokyo Gas's executive officer, said during a media tour of the facilities.

It will also use CO2 emitted and captured from nearby factories or its customers.

Tokyo Gas is aiming to replace about 1% of city gas volume with synthetic methane by 2030. It will scale up the trial in late 2020s to produce 400 Nm3/h, followed by an overseas demonstration in 2030 to make 20,000 Nm3/h.

"The biggest challenge is reducing cost," Yakabe said, adding the methanation cost around 2030 would be much higher than liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, even with inexpensive overseas renewable energy and lower hydrogen production costs.

"Cost reduction must be achieved through multiple measures," he said.

Tokyo Gas is also trying to build global supply chains of synthetic methane, conducting feasibility studies in Malaysia with Sumitomo Corp. and Petronas, and in North America and Australia with Mitsubishi Corp.