NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it will participate in Open RAN verifications in the United States as the ACCoRD (Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments) project in a consortium jointly founded with AT&T Inc. (AT&T), Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon), and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (Jio). This consortium was awarded a USD 42.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)(1) on February 12.
The consortium comprises telecom operators and US universities and suppliers include equipment vendors from the United States and abroad, and is committed to verifying multi-vendor Open RAN connectivity for further commercial deployments. Leveraging its experiences and expertise in multi-vendor interoperability since the 4G era and Open RAN deployment in 5G networks, DOCOMO will contribute to the realization of integration and interoperability between major and emerging vendors with its consortium partners.
The grant program, part of the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund established by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 in the United States, is aimed at promoting open and interoperable solutions in the wireless communication equipment market, stimulating the ecosystem, and providing grants to activities advancing verification, adoption and deployment of such technology and equipment.
Going forward, DOCOMO will contribute to supporting operators in their adoption of Open RAN through this consortium and the company’s Open RAN service brand OREX®.(2)
(1) Principal advisory body to the President of the United States on domestic and international telecommunications and information policies. (2) OREX is an Open RAN service provider launched by DOCOMO in collaboration with multiple global vendors, providing customized Open RAN solutions to address the needs of each customer.
OREX is a registered trademark of NTT DOCOMO, INC.
About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s leading mobile operator with over 89 million subscriptions, is one of the world’s foremost contributors to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Beyond core communications services, DOCOMO is challenging new frontiers in collaboration with a growing number of entities (“+d” partners), creating exciting and convenient value-added services that change the way people live and work. Under a medium-term plan toward 2020 and beyond, DOCOMO is pioneering a leading-edge 5G network to facilitate innovative services that will amaze and inspire customers beyond their expectations. www.docomo.ne.jp/english/
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Sept 29, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – PT PLN (Persero), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (PT SMI) signed partnership documents formalizing their commitment to work together towards achieving Indonesia’s greenhouse gas reduction target. The agreement signed on the sidelines of the 2023 Annual Meeting in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt Tuesday, (26/9) to work together to reduce Indonesia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Minister of Finance Indonesia, Sri Mulyani remarked that holistic growth required energy supplies. Responding the need for renewable energy necessitates support and cooperation in providing adequate resources.
Darmawan Prasodjo, President Director of PLN (middle) hands over a souvenir to Investment Operations Vice President of AIIB Urjit R. Patel, witnessed by Sri Mulyani, Ministry of Finance of Republic of Indonesia.
“This is necessary for private sector participation in funding the climate agenda. This is a step that we are excited to share with you and AIIB in order to discover solutions. As a cleaner, greener, and leaner financial institution,” Sri Mulyani said.
President Director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo stated that collaboration and partnerships are critical to advancing Indonesia’s energy transformation. As a result, PLN is going to keep maintaining the relationship with diverse stakeholders with the goal to realize the energy transition from conventional to new, renewable, and sustainable energy.
“Of course, financial support is crucial for accelerating Indonesia’s energy transition. This partnership is certain to reflect PLN’s objective of boosting the share of renewable energy in Indonesia’s energy mix,” mentioned Darmawan.
Darmawan stated that over the previous 3,5 years, PLN has transformed into a greener electricity provider based on new renewable energy (NRE). The corporation began by developing a greener Electric Power Supply Business Plan and cancelling as much as 13,3 Gigawatt (GW) of coal-based power plants from 2019 – 2028 electricity plan. Aside from that, PLN’s entire commitment to the energy transition is continuing with the planning of the national power plan, which includes 51,6% of NRE power generation.
PLN continues to innovate and do various breakthroughs to develop NRE up to 75% in 2040. “In addition, we are committed to executing the Net Zero Emissions target by the year 2060, PLN is now focusing not only on providing electricity but also on the environment,” Darmawan explained.
According to AIIB President Jin Liqun, the goal of this partnership is to help Indonesia transition to sustainable development and solve climate change challenges. Jin Liqun believes that this collaboration will push Indonesia to become a leader in the region’s energy transition from fossil-based to new renewable energy.
“This is a crucial decade for climate change action. By collaborating with major energy players in Indonesia, AIIB intends to unlock and mobilize additional capital to increase access to environmentally friendly energy in Southeast Asia’s largest economy,” Jin Liqun said.
He stated that the AIIB intends to provide long-term finance to assist the Indonesian government in implementing the transition to low-carbon energy. This funding is intended to supplement existing national and multinational efforts, such as the cooperation with JET-P, while pushing Indonesia to pursue a complete and integrated energy transition strategy.
Furthermore, following the signature of the partnership agreement, AIIB, PLN, and SMI will investigate potential for project preparation, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and technical assistance in the sphere of energy transition.
“By leveraging each other’s technical expertise and financial resources, the three institutions are committed to accelerating the implementation of environmentally friendly energy technologies and contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for Indonesia and the rest of the world,” Jin Liqun said.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has concluded a General License Agreement (GLA) with Saipem S.p.A., one of major engineering companies in Italy, under which MHI will provide Saipem with its proprietary “KM CDR Process” and “Advanced KM CDR Process” technologies for use in CO2 capture plants. Both technologies were jointly developed with The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
CO2 Capture Plant (conceptual image)
Saipem is a leading global solution provider that performs engineering, procurement, construction and project management in the energy and infrastructure sector. With bases in more than 70 countries, the company possesses advanced, innovative engineering technologies and has a solid track record in completed deliveries. MHI has had a cooperative relationship with Saipem for many years relating to the latter’s Snamprogetti Urea technology, resulting in construction of world-class scale fertilizer plants. Now, through the collaboration in CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage), a structure is in place enabling execution of CO2 capture plants making use of the two partners’ respective strengths.
The strategic new tie-up is aimed at expanding sales of CO2 capture plants to Saipem’s core business fields especially in Europe and the Middle East, where demand of decarbonization would be increasing in the years ahead. With ability to accommodate numerous projects, MHI looks to ensure a leading position in the developing global CCUS market. The newly expanded collaboration with Saipem can be expected to further advance MHI’s global CCUS strategy in addition to other partnerships MHI has formed over the years globally.
Fabrizio Botta, Saipem’s Chief Commercial Officer, commented: “This agreement, signed with a key partner such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, allows Saipem to combine its expertise and track-record in designing and building Upstream, Mid-stream and Downstream facilities with the most advance post-combustion technology for large plants. This enables Saipem to further consolidate its position and expand its portfolio of solutions in the decarbonisation sector.”
Kenji Terasawa, CEO and Head of Engineering Solutions said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Saipem, with whom we have had a longstanding relationship in other fields, in the CO2 capture business. With this agreement, we would like to collaborate with Saipem for numerous projects in Europe and the Middle East etc., to lead a global CCUS market growth as an innovative solutions provider. We will accelerate the CO2 capture business and create CCUS value chain in order to achieve a carbon neutral society.”
MHI has declared MISSION NET ZERO to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, and the Company is now undertaking strategic initiatives toward decarbonizing the energy supply side. Core among those efforts is the development of a CO2 solutions ecosystem, which links diverse carbon emission sources with storage and utilization. Going forward, the Company’s Engineering Solutions integrated into MHI in this April and possesses proprietary CO2 capture technologies, will vigorously advance MHI Group’s CCUS operations, and contribute to reducing greenhouse gases on global scale. MHI will also press ahead in developing new solutions to contribute to global environmental protection.
About MHI Group’s CO2 capture technologies
MHI has been developing the KM CDR Process (Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery Process) and Advanced KM CDR Process in collaboration with Kansai Electric Power since 1990. As of April 2023, the Company has delivered 15 plants adopting the KM CDR Process, and three more are currently under construction. The Advanced KM CDR Process uses KS-21, which incorporates technological improvements over the amine-based KS-1 solvent adopted at all 15 of the commercial CO2 capture plants MHI has delivered to date. The advanced version offers superior regeneration efficiency and lower deterioration than the KS-1, and it has been verified to provide excellent energy saving performance, reduce operating costs, and result in low amine emissions.
For further information on MHI’s CO2 capture plants: www.mhi.com/products/engineering/co2plants.html
About MHI Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), NTT Anode Energy Corporation (NTT Anode Energy), NEC Corporation (NEC) and NEC Platforms Co., Ltd. (NEC Platforms) concluded a basic agreement for reducing the environmental impact of business activities and have begun collaborating on the promotion of a decarbonized society.
NEC Platforms Co., Ltd. Fukushima Plant
The outline of the agreement is as follows. Implementation methods and other details will be discussed and promoted following consultation between the companies.
1. NTT Anode Energy will provide 100% renewable energy to the NEC Platforms Fukushima Plant, which manufactures 5G base station equipment, with the aim of starting from June 2024. Part of the renewable energy will include power generated in an offsite PPA(1) as well as green energy sent directly from a power plant(2). 2. The NEC Platforms Fukushima Plant will be using renewable energy supplied by NTT Anode Energy to manufacture networking equipment, such as IOWN(3) products that incorporate cutting-edge energy-saving technologies. 3. NTT and NEC will jointly promote initiatives in support of a decarbonized society, including the supply chain.
In recent years, there have been increasing demands on companies throughout the world to decarbonize and make use of renewable energy. Accordingly, NTT has adopted a new environment and energy vision, “NTT Green Innovation toward 2040″(4) and NEC has established its “Guide to Climate Change Countermeasures for 2050″(5) as part of their overall efforts to support a sustainable society.
In addition to reducing NEC’s Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions(6), by providing the NTT Group with products manufactured using green power, a reduction in the NTT Group’s Scope 3 emissions(6) will be achieved, thereby promoting the environmental management of both organizations.
In addition to reducing its own environmental impact, NTT will promote initiatives that contribute to reducing the environmental impact of society and support a sustainable society. NTT is aiming to expand the reach of its power-saving IOWN infrastructure within the telecommunications and computing fields, as well as a variety of industrial sectors, which is expected to contribute to a 4% reduction in GHG emissions in Japan (a 2% reduction worldwide) by fiscal 2040. Regarding the procurement of equipment that comprises telecommunications services, including IOWN, NTT strives to improve energy efficiency, reduce both energy consumption and GHG emissions, and requests that its suppliers use renewable energy as much as possible(7).
For its part, NEC will continue to actively promote the introduction of renewable energy at its various plants. This is in addition to promoting the social implementation of IOWN technologies, such as the development of networking products(8), which are the foundation of the IOWN initiative, and contributing to the achievement of a decarbonized society.
Going forward, NTT and NEC will work together to develop and introduce renewable energy, such as green power and IOWN energy-saving technologies, and in this way, contribute to achieving the 2050 Carbon Neutral Declaration of the Japanese Government.
*IOWN is a trademark or registered trademark of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
(1) Offsite PPA (Power Purchase Agreement): An agreement in which power is transmitted from a remote power generation facility to a consumer (in this case, the NEC Platforms Fukushima Plant) via the transmission and distribution network of a general transmission and distribution operator. (2) This includes green energy such as solar, wind, and biomass which are considered to have been transmitted directly from power generation facilities at remote locations. (3) IOWN (Innovative Optical & Wireless Network): An advanced communications infrastructure incorporating cutting-edge photonics, computing and other technologies to achieve a smarter world promoted by the IOWN Global Forum (https://iowngf.org/). (4) NTT Green Innovation toward 2040: https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2021/09/28/210928a.html (5) Guide to Climate Change Countermeasures for 2050: www.nec.com/en/global/csr/eco/target.html#anc-03 (6) Scope 1: Direct emissions of GHGs by businesses themselves (fuel combustion industrial processes) Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the use of electricity, heat or steam supplied by other companies Scope 3: Indirect emissions other than Scope 1 and Scope 2 (emissions by other companies related to business activities) (7) NTT Group Guidelines for Sustainability in Supply Chain: PDF: bit.ly/3zBnZg8 (8) NEC open optical transport products (SpectralWave/WX series): www.nec.com/en/global/solutions/open-opt/
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.
Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (Osaka Gas) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) have entered into an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on a project to develop a CO2 value chain for CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage), including transporting CO2 captured in Japan to overseas, utilizing it to produce e-methane, synthetic gas produced through methanation, and storing it underground.
The project aims to establish an efficient CO2 value chain, leveraging Osaka Gas’s know-how on e-methane production and CO2 storage and MHI’s expertise in CO2 capture, liquefied CO2 maritime vessel transport, and CO2 management.
To that end, the project partners will examine methods to capture CO2 emitted from the Hard-to-Abate industries, such as steel, cement, and chemicals, and transport liquefied CO2 using ships. Osaka Gas and MHI will conduct a feasibility study on the entire CCUS scheme, including CO2 utilization for e-methane and underground sequestration, in corporation with companies from a wide variety of industries.
The project also plans to expand its CCUS scheme through the trade and transfer of CCUS’s environmental value quantified by CO2NNEX, a digital platform under development by MHI and IBM Japan for visualizing CO2 value chain.
Through this project, Osaka Gas and MHI aim to contribute to achieving a carbon neutral society by 2050, combining the two companies’ technologies developed to meet their respective goals for net zero emissions.
About e-methane
Methanation is a technology for synthesizing methane, the main component of natural gas, from hydrogen and CO2. The resulting product is known as e-methane. The use (combustion) of e-methane results in no effective increase in CO2 for society as a whole because CO2, which is normally emitted into the atmosphere, is captured and recycled for use in producing e-methane. Also, methanation is expected to be an economically efficient way of achieving carbon neutrality, with e-methane being distributed through the existing gas infrastructure and combusted in existing gas appliances, requiring no large-scale investment for constructing new energy systems or modifying the existing ones.
About CO2NNEX
CO2NNEX is a digital platform to provide transparency and flexibility in the distribution of CO2 and its environmental value in the rapidly expanding CCUS value chain toward a carbon-neutral society. IoT will connect actual CO2 data, and blockchain technology will guarantee its neutrality, fairness along with advanced information security.
For more information, please see the following press release: www.mhi.com/news/210506.html
About Osaka Gas
Osaka Gas announced the Daigas Group Carbon Neutral Vision in January 2021 for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 mainly through the introduction of carbon neutral gas produced by methanation, decarbonization of its power sources primarily through the use of renewable energies and the reduction of carbon emissions. The company is also conducting a number of studies on developing methanation projects overseas – notably in Australia, South America, North America, and Southeast Asia – for the commercialization of methanation technology.
On March 9,2023, the company’s Energy Transition 2030 was released to present the overall picture of the company’s transition to low-carbon and carbon-neutral energy and the company-s transition initiatives and solutions for a lower-carbon society in 2030. Osaka Gas works on schemes to produce e-methane through methanation from CO2 captured from the Hard-to-Abate industries, such as steel, cement, and chemicals, or inject CO2 into underground storage, aiming to reduce customers’ CO2 emissions and contribute to achieving a circular economy that decreases environmental burdens.
About MHI
MHI Group is actively involved in programs targeting the realization of a carbon neutral society. Building a CO2 ecosystem is central to its energy transition initiatives. As a global leader in CCUS, the company aims to accelerate this ecosystem development by seeking widespread adoption of related hardware as well as the CO2NNEX digital platform.
