TotalEnergies, TES, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, and ITOCHU have entered a strategic partnership to develop the Live Oak project, a facility for electric natural gas production in Nebraska, aiming for commercial operations by 2030.

Target Information

The Live Oak project, a large-scale facility for the production of electric natural gas (e-NG) or e-methane, has formed a strategic alliance between TotalEnergies and TES, with Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, and ITOCHU entering as investors. This partnership grants the Japanese companies a combined stake of 33.3% in the project, which is in development in Nebraska, United States. TotalEnergies and TES will retain a 33.35% stake each. The Live Oak project is aimed at leveraging Nebraska’s abundant biogenic CO₂ resources, sourced from bioethanol plants, alongside the increasing capacity for renewable power generation in the U.S.

The project is approaching the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase with an anticipated capacity of approximately 250 megawatts of electrolysis and 75 kilotons per annum of methanation. Following a Final Investment Decision scheduled for 2027, the project is set to begin commercial operations by 2030, with a focus on exporting e-NG to Japan. This initiative will aid Japanese gas firms in meeting their objective of integrating 1% carbon-neutral gas into the gas grid by 2030.

Industry Overview in Japan

Japan is currently navigating a robust energy transition focused on decarbonization and sustainability, driven by both public policy and market demands. The nation has been investing heavily in alternative energy sources, including hydrogen and renewable