Japan-backed US e-methane plant enters design phase for natural gas alternative

EnergyProject will seek to export fuel made from hydrogen, CO2 to Japanese marketAn Osaka Gas plant in Japan. The company aims to start shipping e-methane to Japan from the U.S. in fiscal 2030. (Photo by Daigo Aoki)YUYA KAKEGAWAAugust 28, 2026 23:40 JSTTOKYO -- Japan's Osaka Gas said Friday that basic design work has begun on a planned U.S. facility to produce synthetic methane, or e-methane, a renewable-energy-assisted alternative to natural gas.Read NextBusiness dealsJapanese companies take major stakes in US synthetic gas projectEnergyJapan to support oil pipelines that bypass Strait of HormuzEnergyJapan's Mitsui fully launches synthetic-fuel plant in DenmarkEnergyMitsubishi aims to make green aviation fuel with Archer Daniels MidlandMaterialsJapan's Kawasaki Heavy proposes making napht