To bolster Japan’s clean energy initiatives, two major Japanese energy companies, JERA and Inpex, are preparing to invest in separate projects in the United States that will produce ammonia for clean-burning power generation in Japan, Nikkei Asia reports.
JERA Global CEO and Chair Yukio Kani and Inpex President Takayuki Ueda confirmed the investments with local U.S. media at the CERAWeek 2024 energy industry conference held in Houston, Texas.
JERA, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, announced its partnership with Oklahoma-based green energy company, Greenfield Energy. Together, they will build a facility in Louisiana to produce green ammonia using renewable energy sources.
Kani also confirmed to media that JERA will hire more people at its U.S. arm, aiming to expand the workforce by 30% after a year to around 250 employees.
On the other hand, Inpex, a leading oil and gas exploration and production company, is exploring opportunities in Texas to establish its own ammonia production facility.
According to Nikkei Asia, Inpex plans to produce 1.1 million tons of ammonia annually in Houston by 2027.
The investments by JERA and Inpex mark significant milestones in Japan’s quest for cleaner energy alternatives.
