Tomakomai CCS
Demonstration Project
Compiled by:
Japan CCS Co., Ltd.
Sapia Tower 21F, 1-7-12, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0005 JAPANhttps://www.japanccs.com/en/

This pamphlet is based on results obtained from a project commissioned by
the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Contact:
Japan CCS Co., Ltd.
Sapia Tower 21F, 1-7-12 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0005, JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-6268-7610
https://www.japanccs.com/en/contact
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
19F MUZA Kawasaki Central Tower, 1310 Omiya-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City,Kanagawa 212-8554 JAPANProject at a Glance
Project Description
The Tomakomai CCS Demonstration Project is Japan’s first full-chain CCS demonstration project being
conducted by Japan CCS Co., Ltd. (JCCS) in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The project has been
conducted over a 12-year period from JFY 2012 to 2023. The Implementation of the project was commissioned toJCCS by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) between JFY2012 and 2017, and from JFY2018 by
the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) with subsidies from METI. Theobjective is to demonstrate the viability of a full CCS system, from CO2 capture to injection and storage. After a 4year period of the construction of facilities, the demonstration operation commenced in April 2016 by capturing,injecting and storing approximately one hundred thousand tonnes/year or more of CO2 in offshore reservoirs in
the Tomakomai port area. On November 22, 2019, the project successfully achieved the target of 300,000 tonnes
cumulative sub-seabed CO2 injection, confirming the safety and reliability of CCS.
The post injection monitoring stage is being conducted under the commission of NEDO.

Project Site: Tomakomai City, Hokkaido
Tomakomai City,Hokkaido, JapanTokyo

Main CCS Parameters

Project Scheme

Objectives & Tasks▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
1

Demonstrate an integrated CCS system from capture to storage
Demonstrate that the CCS system is safe and reliable
Remove concerns about earthquakes by the data collected― Natural earthquakes have no effect on stored CO2― No perceptible tremors are caused by CO2 injection
Disclose project information & data and enhance understanding of CCS by the general public
Clearly define areas to be improved or solved for commercialization

Progress to Date & Demonstration Schedule
Selection of Tomakomai Area
Tomakomai was selected from among 115 candidate sites as a result of comprehensive investigations and site
surveys and was authorized by the Evaluation Committee organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry of Japan (METI). The data collected by detailed site surveys were used to establish a geological modeland to perform simulation of long-term CO2 behavior prediction. The results obtained revealed that the geologicalstructures and formations in the Tomakomai area were highly suitable for geological CO2 storage.

Schedule: - Contract Period: From JFY2012 to JFY2023 ▪ From JFY2012 to JFY2015: Preparation
Activities including the design and construction of facilities, drilling of wells, and preparation for demonstration
operation were carried out.

▪ From April 2016 to November 2019: CO2 injection and monitoring of CO2

On November 22, 2019, the target of 300 thousand tonnes of CO2 injection was achieved, and injection wasterminated.

▪ From November 2019: Post-injection monitoring, maintenance of facilities,
improvement of capability, etc.
▪ From JFY2021: Study/preparation of the interoperation of CCS and CCU2

Main Features of Tomakomai Project
Main Features▪ First full cycle CCS system deployed in Japan▪ Low energy CO2 capture process → Page 4▪ First case of deviated CO2 injection wells drilled offshore from onshore site
→ Page 5, 6◼

Cost reduction of drilling, operation and maintenance compared to offshore drilling◼

No disturbance on marine environment and harbor operation▪ Extensive monitoring system → Page 7◼

Confirm safety and stability of CCS system◼

Remove concerns about earthquakes▪ CO2 storage governed by Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution & MaritimeDisaster (Japanese law reflecting London Protocol) → Page 8▪ First case of CCS near urban area; extensive public outreach activities engaging
local government, residents and industry → Page 10

Bird’s Eye View of Tomakomai Capture/Injection Facilities

3

CO2 Capture Process
Two-stage Absorption System with Low-pressure Flash Tower▪ Depressurization in Low Pressure Flash Tower strips substantial portion of CO2▪ Energy consumption is 1/2 to 1/3 of conventional CO2 capture process
The CO2 source is a hydrogen production unit (HPU) of an adjacent oil refinery, which supplies off gas containing
approximately 50% CO2 from a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) hydrogen purification unit. In the capture facility,
gaseous CO2 of 99% purity or more is recovered by a commercially proven amine scrubbing process. A twostage absorption system including a low-pressure flash tower reduces the amine reboiler duty in the capturesystem, and achieved a reboiler duty of 0.882 - 0.923GJ/t-CO2 which is 1/2 to 1/3 of a conventional one stage
absorption process.

Two-stage absorption process

PSA offgas
CO2 approx. 50%

CO2 Compressors4CO2 InjectionInjecting from Onshore to Offshore▪ Deviated wells from onshore to offshore◼
◼

Cost reduction of drilling, operation and maintenance compared to offshore drilling
No disturbance on marine environment and harbor operation

At the onshore injection facility, the CO2 is compressed and injected into two different offshore reservoirs by two
separate deviated wells. The storage points are located 3 to 4km offshore. The shallow reservoir (MoebetsuFormation), a saline aquifer mainly composed of sandstone located approximately 1,000m below the seabed, wasreached by an extended reach drilling (ERD) well with a maximum inclination of 83 degrees, vertical depth of
1,188m and horizontal reach of 3,058m. A perforated liner covered by sand control screens was set over theinjection interval of almost 1,200m in length in order to minimize sand flow back into the well. The deep reservoir(Takinoue Formation) is a saline aquifer composed of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks located approximately
2,500m below the seabed. The deep injection well has a maximum inclination of 72 degrees, vertical depth of
2,753m and horizontal reach of 4,346m.

CO2 injection wells

Geological cross section

5Schematic Diagram of Injection Wells
Injection Well for Moebetsu Formation

Drilling: 12th Mar. 2015 - 22nd Jun. 2015

KOP
depth

Vertical
depth

Horizontal
reachMaximum
inclination

Drill
depth

240 m

1,188 m3,058 m83°

3,650 mInjection Well for Takinoue Formation
Drilling: 19th Oct. 2014 – 25th Feb. 2015
KOP
Depth

Vertical
depth

Horizontal
reachMaximum
inclination

Drill
depth

925 m

2,753 m

4,346 m72°

5,800 m6

Monitoring & Verification
Objectives of Monitoring and Verification▪ Confirm the safety and stability of CO2 injection
◼
◼

◼

◼

The CO2 behavior in the reservoirs is being monitored continuously to detect for any CO2 leakage.
Seismic surveys to delineate the subsurface CO2 distribution, and monitoring of the injected CO2 volume,
formation pressure and temperature are being conducted.
Baseline seismic surveys were conducted during the site survey and preparation phases, and time lapse
2D and 3D seismic surveys are being conducted.
The monitoring is being used to update a simulation model to predict CO2 behavior.

▪ Verify that natural earthquakes do not affect the stored CO2, and that CO2 injection
does not cause any perceptible tremors◼

Monitoring of natural earthquakes and micro-seismicity is being conducted.

▪ Monitor the marine environment◼

Marine environmental surveys are being conducted on ocean currents, water quality, seabed mud, marineorganisms, etc., in accordance with the “Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disaster”.

Monitoring System

Monitoring equipment/work and monitored items

An extensive monitoring system comprising 3
observation wells, 4 ocean bottom seismometers, 1
ocean bottom cable, wellbore temperature/pressure,and flow meters was established to continuously
measure the temperature and pressure of thereservoirs, the flow of CO2 into the reservoirs, andto monitor natural earthquakes and micro-seismicity.
As a result of an optimization study of the seismicobservation system, it was confirmed that highly
accurate micro-seismicity monitoring is possible
without the onshore seismic station and OBSs.
Therefore, it was decided to stop the operation of
the onshore seismic station and OBSs from FY2021.

Until JFY 2020

JFY 2021–2025• Onshore seismic station• Three observation wells• Three observation wells• OBC• OBC• Four OBSs
• Combination of 2D, 3D and 2D + mini-3D seismic survey

7• Mini-3D seismic survey

Monitoring & Verification
Schematic Diagram of Sensors Deployed for Monitoring

Marine Environmental Surveys
Subsea CO2 geological storage is regulated by the “Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disaster”,
enforced to reflect the London 1996 Protocol. Marine environmental surveys were conducted in FY2013 andFY2014; from FY2016, seasonal surveys are being conducted quarterly.
Marine environmental surveys have been conducted under the five-year injection permit (FY2016–2020 andFY2021–2025) from Ministry of the Environment (MOE) which requires the implementation of a “monitoring plan”
approved by MOE.
After evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the marine environmental survey results, theimplementation items were reduced with the approval of the Ministry of the Environment.
Four survey points shallower than 10 m water depth were excluded because their chemical properties are very
unstable by vertical mixing of sea water and atmosphere, and the number of survey points was reduced from 12to 8. Chemical measurements of sea bottom sediments and benthos observation were changed from mandatory
to when necessary.
Until JFY 2020

JFY 2021–2025• Seasonal survey at 12 survey points• Chemical measurements of seawater• Chemical measurements of sea bottom sediments• Seasonal survey at 8 survey points• Chemical measurements of seawater• Chemical measurements of sea bottom sediments (conductedas needed)• Plankton observation• Benthos observation (conducted as needed)• Seismic survey (twice in 5 years)• Pressure and temperature at the injection wells and theobservation wells• Plankton observation• Benthos observation• Seismic survey (once a year)• Pressure and temperature at the injection wells and theobservation wells

8Key Results
Results of CO2 Injection◼

◼

Achieved 300,110 tonnes cumulative CO2 injection into 2 reservoirs at different depths (Moebetsu Formation –300,012 tonnes, Takinoue Formation – 98 tonnes).
The maximum bottomhole pressures recorded during injection in the Moebetsu Formation were much lower
than the upper limit set to avoid destruction of the overlying cap rock.

Injection record of Moebetsu Formation

Results of Micro-seismicity Monitoring◼

No micro-seismicity or natural earthquakes attributable to CO2 injection were detected in vicinity of injection area.

3D seismic survey results and CO2 saturation simulated by reservoir model◼

9

3D seismic surveys at cumulative CO2 injection of approx. 65,000, 207,000 and 300,000 tonnes into theMoebetsu Formation detected anomalies, indicating evolution of the CO 2 plume. CO2 saturation distributions byreservoir simulation show a similar trend.

Public Engagement
In Tomakomai CityTomakomai City has a population of 169,000 and as the operation is taking place in the port area, intensive
stakeholder engagement has been implemented since FY2011. Securing the strong support of the Tomakomai
government, a wide range of activities; providing information on JCCS’s website, exhibitions and forums forresidents, receiving site visits, engaging in consultation and collaboration with government officials and fisherycooperatives, conducting interviews with local and national media, etc., is being carried out.

Tomakomai CCUS/Zero Carbon Promotion Association▪ Activities◼

Attraction of CCS Demonstration Project to Tomakomai◼

Information communication to Tomakomai citizens on CCS, etc.

▪ Chairman : Tomakomai City Mayor▪ Secretariat : Tomakomai City
▪ Members : All major corporations in Tomakomai and industrial associations
including Tomakomai Fishery CooperativeNewsletters

Association Meeting

Various activities for local communities

Panel Exhibitions

CCS courses for senior citizens

CCS Forums

Site tours & lectures

Science classes & site tours for schoolchildren

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