TotalEnergies, TES, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, and ITOCHU have signed a Joint Development and Operating Agreement on December 2, 2025, granting the Japanese companies a combined 33.3% stake in the Live Oak project. The large-scale facility to produce electric natural gas (e-NG), also known as e-methane, was initiated by TotalEnergies and TES and is currently under development in Nebraska, United States.

Following the agreement, TotalEnergies and TES will each maintain a 33.35% stake in the project. The partners are now preparing the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase, targeting a capacity of approximately 250 MW of electrolysis and 75 ktpa of methanation.

Project Timeline and Operations

The Live Oak project is subject to a Final Investment Decision in 2027 and is scheduled to begin commercial operations by 2030. The facility plans to export e-NG to Japan, with Osaka Gas and Toho Gas serving as the primary offtakers.

The project helps the Japanese gas majors in achieving their goal of injecting 1% carbon-neutral gas, such as e-NG, into the gas grid by 2030. The agreement builds on the strategic partnership established between TotalEnergies and TES in 2023 to pioneer the at-scale production of e-NG.

Resource Utilization and Technology

The Live Oak project will leverage Nebraska's abundant biogenic CO2 resources, captured from bioethanol plants, and the growing renewable power generation capacity in the United States. The participation of Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, and ITOCHU, as the coordinator of Japanese companies, underscores their commitment to decarbonization through e-NG adoption and positions Live Oak as the leading project for carbon-neutral gas production in Japan.

e-NG is a synthetic gas produced from renewable hydrogen and CO2. Chemically identical to conventional natural gas, e-NG can be seamlessly integrated into existing LNG infrastructure, including liquefaction, transport, regasification, and distribution, without altering consumer equipment.

Company Profiles and Strategic Goals

TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energy, including oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas, and low-carbon hydrogen, as well as renewables and electricity. The company has more than 100,000 employees committed to providing energy that is more reliable, more affordable, and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, projects, and operations.

TES is a global green energy company developing giga-scale projects to accelerate the energy transition. In Europe, TES' projects strengthen energy security and the diversification of energy imports, as well as support the European Union's decarbonization efforts. In Wilhelmshaven, Germany, TES is developing a green energy terminal that will serve as a major hub for sustainable molecules. A large-scale onshore LNG terminal and a CO2 export terminal will follow the already operating floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).

Globally, TES leverages renewable energy, including solar, wind, and hydro, as well as climate-neutral CO2, to produce e-NG. Large-scale e-NG projects are underway in the US with Live Oak, Canada with Project Mauricie, and across Europe and the Middle East. These green molecules support the shift to real zero emissions across industries.

The Daigas Group, which includes Osaka Gas, is dedicated to realizing a carbon-neutral future through its Carbon Neutral Vision and Energy Transition 2050 initiative. As part of this effort, the Group aims to integrate 1% e-methane into its gas grid by 2030, paving the way for broader adoption across society. To achieve this goal, the Group is actively advancing e-methane technologies, conducting demonstration projects, and building supply chains both in Japan and overseas, driving progress toward carbon neutrality by 2050.

Toho Gas aims to make its entire supply chain, including its customers' sites, carbon neutral by 2050. Toho Gas is currently accelerating initiatives that contribute to the low-carbon transition and further decarbonization of its customers. Toho Gas will devote itself to realizing a decarbonized society and further development of Chubu region by securing and providing diverse and optimal decarbonized energy sources, including e-methane and biogas.

ITOCHU is involved in domestic and overseas trading, import/export, and business investment in Japan and overseas, as well as in the trading of various products. ITOCHU, with the group's corporate mission “Sampo-yoshi” meaning good for the seller, good for the buyer and good for society, is pursuing a policy of enhancing its contribution to and engagement with the SDGs through business activities, including promoting e-NG, as a member of the e-NG Coalition.

Connect with Decision-makers about the Latest Oil & Gas Production Projects Around the World for business Opportunities.

Subscribe to our database on Oil & Gas Production Projects and Tenders Around the World to get access to reliable and high-quality insights on upcoming, under-construction, and completed Oil & Gas Production Projects across the world or in your desired geographical location.

Our user-friendly platform provides essential details, timely updates, key stakeholder contact information, and business opportunities tailored for engineering companies, industry professionals, investors, and government agencies.