Malaysia’s Petronas and Japan’s Eneos have partnered up to jointly develop a clean hydrogen supply chain between the two countries, and to explore other hydrogen opportunities. The companies will carry out a technical-commercial joint study of a hydrogen supply chain which includes hydrogen production and its shipping in liquid form.

Petronas believes the development of liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology is fast gaining traction due to its chemically stable nature that allows for long-term storage and long-distance transport. The company said, the use of LOHC leverages existing conventional oil and petrochemicals infrastructure, which heavily reduces the need to develop new assets.

Petronas and Eneos will also explore low carbon hydrogen production from Petronas’ petrochemical facilities and in the future, green hydrogen produced by renewable energy.

“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,” said Adnan Zainal Abidin, Petronas gas and new energy executive vice president and CEO.

For this project with Petronas, Eneos has applied for funding from the Japanese government’s Green Innovation Fund, which sponsors decarbonisation projects and initiatives. While in Malaysia, the development of a hydrogen-based economy is set to complement future growth as the country prepares to transition towards a low carbon economy.