Malasia y Japón planean gran proyecto transfronterizo de captura de carbono pese a dudas climáticas – Chicago Tribune
By ANTON L. DELGADO
BANGKOK (AP) — Japan wants to send carbon dioxide emissions to Malaysia in a pioneering project in Southeast Asia for carbon dioxide capture and accumulation, a highly controversial process that critics say is the most symbolic and effective in curbing change. climatic.
Perhaps these people, Malaysia is positioned as the Southeast Asian hub for this alternative technology, a three-step process that captures, transports and digests carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to climate change. About 81% of Malaysia’s electricity comes from fossil fuels, and climate activists argue that CO2 capture is a costly distraction ahead of tried-and-tested actions to reduce emissions, such as the transition to renewable energy.
Japan, one of the world’s top emitters of carbon dioxide, is sending emissions from its highly polluting industries — which have launched electricity production, oil refining, cement, shipping and steel — to Malaysia in the coming years. If the project is successful, experts say it could pave the way for other Southeast Asian nations with carbon dioxide accumulation potential, such as Indonesia and Thailand.
Critics say they are slowing progress on overall emissions to reduce emissions, which drags their targets off course.
“The plan will dangerously shift the transport of climate change to Malaysia instead of Japan,” said Rachel Kennerley, a carbon dioxide capture specialist at the Center for International Environmental Law, according to Washington.
Dudas on carbon dioxide capture
The controversial process begins by capturing emissions directly from a contaminating source, such as a refinery or power plant. This can be done in different ways, such as adapting a facility to emit directly to a storage location or building structures similar to vacuum cleaners to suck up the emissions.
Even if Japan and Malaysia do not have separate aircraft, it is likely that they will then need to separate carbon dioxide from other captured gases that are emitted during industrial processes.
Then the carbon dioxide will be liquefied and later transported in specially designed boats to business sites, probably in gas purchases purchased off the coast of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo.
After injecting the liquid carbon into the subsuelo, the site will tend to be monitored for leaks.
Some fossil fuel giants like Exxon Mobil and Shell are even promoting the strategy as a climate solution that, over time, across countries and industries, allows more clean energy to be transported.
Europe’s first offshore carbon dioxide storage facility, which will capture Denmark’s emissions and injections into the low-lying North Sea, is expected to start operating in mid-2026. A Norwegian facility opened last year and cross-border shipments are likely.
Grant Hauber, of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said in the US there was “a theoretically fantastic increase” in interest in carbon dioxide capture. Añadió that “offers a tempting promise that simply will not be fulfilled.”
While the International Energy Agency considers the capture, use and accumulation of carbon dioxide as a tool to curb climate change, the IEA’s most recent net-zero emissions scenario projects that it will yield less than 5% of emissions reductions for 2050.
Malaysia launches capture project
Malaysia approved a law last year to promote the carbon dioxide capture industry. Without reporting details, the Economy Ministry declined to comment on plans that the nascent sector could bring $250,000 million to the economy in 30 years.
Malaysia’s oil and gas company Petronas has completed the $1,100 million construction of what will be the world’s largest deep-sea carbon dioxide storage facility, with operations scheduled to begin at the end of the decade. Petronas declined to comment.
Eqram Mustaqeem, who campaigned against carbon capture in Malaysia, argued that instead of reversing likely decarbonization actions, such as solar energy consumption or electricity grid development, “we have large amounts of money in technology that is on par with the above I hope and is not likely”.
Japan tests a cross-border model
Fossil fuels generate most of the energy in Japan, which is among the world’s five largest emitters of carbon dioxide.
Japan is installing new storage facilities, three of them in Malaysia, to try to reduce its net emissions. Calculated for 2030, emissions are expected to reach 20 million tonnes of gas per year, or around 2% of Japan’s annual emissions.
It is probable that Malaysia will receive a payment, but not determined, per tone of almacenadas emissions. Japan could then restore emissions from its total carbon dioxide production.
Officials from the Japanese government agencies leading the project — the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan Organization for Safety of Metals and Energy, or JOGMEC — did not respond to requests for comment.
Government documents show a series of Japanese companies claiming to send broadcasts to Malaysia.
Carbon dioxide capture or “climate colonialism”
Ayumi Fukakusa, of the activist group Friends of the Earth Japan, called the idea of exporting emissions to other countries “carbon colonialism.”
In addition to criticism of the effectiveness of carbon dioxide capture, critics also oppose the idea of managing emissions instead of reducing them.
Kennerley, of the Center for International Environmental Law, said: “Japan can contaminate and fuel climate change, while it claims to ‘clean up’ its emissions sending carbon to Malaysia.” Agregó that this will turn Malaysia into “a carbon dioxide green for industrial contamination” and restore momentum for climate action.
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