CCUS Hub Study identifies five Asia-Pacific hub sites and welcomes new consortium partners

• The CCUS Hub Study is investigating the technical and commercial feasibility of common infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region as an emissions reduction option for hard-to-abate industries (primarily steelmaking).
• First milestone complete with Phase 1 of the Study assessing more than 3,000 potential hub locations and narrowing the list to five key hubs in India (two hubs), Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.
• The five key hubs highlight the opportunities and commercial feasibility for large-scale CCUS adoption and provide the scope of analysis for Phase 2.
• In Phase 2, the identified hubs will be further defined and optimised, with a focus on commercial model development and more rigorous regulatory gap assessment.
• The purpose of the Study is to deliver tailored analysis that supports industry understanding of CCUS. The Study also aims to increase public understanding of CCUS in Asia.
• The Study welcomes three new industry partners: Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), Kobe Steel LTD, and Low Emission Technology Australia (LETA).

SINGAPORE, April 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An industry Consortium developing a first-of-its-kind Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Hub Study for Asia has identified five hubs as potential storage options after assessing over 3,000 site locations.

The Study focuses on the capture, transport, and long-term storage of carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂) from hard-to-abate sectors, including steel, cement and chemicals.

The Consortium, comprised of leading steelmakers ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, JSW Steel, Hyundai Steel Company, and other value chain players, BHP, Chevron, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., commits to strong industry collaboration in advancing CCUS pathways. It welcomes three new partners, which will deepen the Study’s input across the value chain and expand the scale of the opportunity geographically:  

• “K” LINE joins as the strategic expert in shipping technology for carbon dioxide.  
• Kobe Steel LTD. brings deep technical steelmaking experience and abatement commitments.  
• LETA provides industry-leading expertise on global lower-emissions technologies.
  

The industry Consortium commenced a prefeasibility study in August 2025 to evaluate the development opportunity of CCUS hubs across Asia.

Through a high-level options study, Phase 1 of the project assessed more than 3,000 potential storage sites across the Asia-Pacific. This process narrowed the field to five hubs located in India (two hubs), Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia – each selected for their potential performance across the full CCUS value chain, including capture, aggregation, transport, export to storage, utilisation approaches including technology and commercial readiness and market evaluation, and the policy and commercial conditions needed for deployment.

The five hubs were chosen on the basis of them providing a diverse set of characteristics, helping the Study examine important trade‑offs, shape the CCUS development pathway, and pinpoint the practical steps required for feasibility. The selected hubs represent regional and international locations and include both onshore and offshore storage.

The findings to date demonstrate that regardless of which hub is selected, strong policy support, targeted incentives, and clear regulatory frameworks are critical to making CCUS commercially viable.

Phase 2 of the Study will undertake detailed engineering and commercial analysis of the five shortlisted hubs. This includes maturing engineering definition and developing potential implementation roadmaps to address key opportunities and challenges. The work will culminate in conceptual development plans outlining the business case, value chain design, CO₂ forecasts, and potential pathways to abatement realisation for each hub.

By leveraging shared infrastructure and economies of scale, the Study seeks potential applications for captured CO₂ in industrial processes, or transport captured CO₂ via pipeline or shipping to storage sites.

The purpose of the Study is to deliver tailored analysis that supports industry understanding of CCUS. The Study also aims to increase public understanding of CCUS in Asia.

The CCUS Hub Study is being delivered by Hatch as Project Management Officer in collaboration with Pace CCS, McDaniel, and Global CCS Institute. 

The Consortium continues to welcome new partners and emphasises that CCUS remains a critical pathway for industries wanting to achieve net zero emissions.

Quotes from the Consortium parties

“K” LINE: Michitomo Iwashita, Senior Managing Corporate Officer

“We believe that CCUS will play a vital role in realizing a carbon neutral society in the future. In particular, for hard to abate sectors such as the steel industry, CCUS represents an indispensable solution for achieving decarbonization.

“Through our participation in this consortium, we will deepen collaboration with industry partners and actively contribute, from the perspective of maritime transportation, to the establishment of a sustainable CO₂ value chain.”

LETA:  Mark McCallum, CEO

“This is exactly the kind of serious, cross-industry and international collaboration that demonstrates how industries critical to the world’s economies including mining, steel, cement and power generation, can all work together to address the challenges of decarbonisation.

“The consortium has identified a number of decarbonisation opportunities across the region, as well as the technologies and policies that will be needed to unlock investment and action.”

Kobe Steel LTD: Yoichiro Yamazaki, Executive Officer for the Technology Strategy & Planning Department and companywide technical development

“Decarbonising hard-to-abate industries will require scalable solutions, collaboration and enabling policy and regulatory frameworks. The Study has reached an important milestone and provides a strong foundation for further technical definition going forward.

“We joined the Consortium to bring steelmaking expertise and to play an active role in advancing practical approaches to CCUS deployment that support emissions reduction and the long-term sustainability of the industry. We look forward to continuing to work with partners to help develop actionable routes toward real-world implementation.”

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India: Dr. Arvind Bodhankar, Chief Sustainability Officer

“The study has delivered critical and encouraging insights, highlighting the strength and success of the Consortium’s collaborative approach.

“As we transition to Phase 2, I am confident the work will progress effectively, providing greater clarity through detailed engineering, commercial analysis, and strengthening pathways toward large-scale deployment.

“As outlined in ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India’s Climate Action Report 2024, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) is one of the key levers to achieve the net zero goal for our company.

“We have consistently supported credible, collaborative initiatives that accelerate large-scale CO₂ emissions reduction.

“We strongly advocate sustainable steelmaking as both a competitive imperative and a responsibility to the communities around us, particularly for the generations to come.”

BHP: Dr Ben Ellis, Vice President Marketing Sustainability

“BHP is committed to supporting our steelmaking customers to decarbonise as demand for high quality steel continues to grow to expand energy networks, build infrastructure and support a growing population.

“With more than 1 billion tonnes of production a year in Asia coming from blast furnace capacity that is relatively early in its production life, it’s important for industry to progress technologies to lower the emissions intensity of existing steelmaking assets while new commercial pathways to decarbonise steelmaking are developed over time.

 “Innovative solutions—like the potential of CCUS—are an essential part of decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking. This study will play an important role in leveraging shared knowledge and resources across the industry with many of the world’s leading steelmakers mentioning carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) in their decarbonisation plans.”

Chevron Australia New Energies (CANE): David Fallon, Australia’s Lower Carbon Execution General Manager

“Chevron Australia looks forward to the outcomes of the CCUS Hub study. We believe in the critical role carbon capture and storage (CCS) can play in a lower carbon world.

“We continue to leverage our expertise and global reach to advance CCS technologies and scale lower carbon solutions across the value chain including in the hard-to-abate sector.”

Hyundai Steel Company: Yonghee Kim, Vice President, Process R&D Sub-Division

“As we conclude Phase 1 of the project, we have not only identified five highly promising CCUS hubs, but also laid a strong foundation for large-scale CO₂ reduction through close collaboration among the Consortium members.

“The participation of new Consortium members is expected to further enrich perspectives and strengthen cross-industry cooperation.

“Hyundai Steel remains committed to leading the development of CCUS and other low-carbon technologies, contributing to enhanced sustainability across the industry.”

JSW Steel: Prabodha Acharya, Chief Sustainability Officer

“The completion of Phase 1 of the CCUS Hub Study marks an important milestone in building the foundations for largescale industrial decarbonisation in India and the Asia -Pacific region.

“As one of India’s leading steel producers, JSW Steel is taking a leadership role in advancing CCUS as a critical enabler for hard-to-abate sectors, alongside renewable energy, efficiency, and process innovation.

“This Phase 1 work reflects JSW’s commitment to convening industry partners, technology providers, and policymakers to develop shared infrastructure and credible, investable pathways that can accelerate India’s net zero transition while strengthening industrial competitiveness.”

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.: Hideaki Konishi, Managing Officer, Mineral & Metal Resources BU COO

“Mitsui welcomes the new member companies joining the CCUS Hub Study Consortium and looks forward to further strengthening cross‑industry collaboration in Phase 2, which will involve detailed analysis of five shortlisted hubs.

“Identifying promising hub candidates across the Asia-Pacific region through this Study represents an important step toward establishing viable pathways for large-scale CO₂ reduction.

“By bringing together diverse expertise across industries, Mitsui will work with the Consortium partners to support the deployment of the CCUS hub in Asia and accelerate progress toward achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”

Hatch: Jan Kwak, Managing Director, Climate Change Technologies

“Hatch is fiercely committed to the pursuit of a better world through positive change and continues to deliver world-class project delivery, professional services and engineering solutions for the metals, energy and infrastructure industries.

“Working with the CCUS Consortium, we realise a shared vision – one where we create unprecedented outcomes for our environment, businesses, and communities as we tackle some of the hardest-to-abate industries.

“We’re proud to support the Consortium and clients around the world to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and meet their carbon neutral commitments.

“This study represents real, tangible progress and proves CCUS is the best technology for advancing carbon abatement efforts.”

#ENDS  

About the Consortium Members

“K” LINE: Founded in 1919, is one of the world’s leading shipping companies, operating a diversified fleet across a wide range of maritime transportation sectors. Building on its extensive experience in liquefied gas carriers, including LPG carriers since 1974 and LNG carriers since 1983, “K” LINE has expanded into LCO₂ transportation business.

Especially, we are accumulating hands-on experience and operational know-how in LCO₂ transportation through participation in multiple CCS-related projects such as “Northern Lights” in Norway and some government-supported projects in Japan.

Based on these experiences, “K” LINE is well positioned to contribute to the safe and reliable LCO₂ transportation in the CCUS value chain.

In particular, we aim to support the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, including the steel industry, through a range of practical initiatives, such as operating LNG-fuelled bulk carriers, transporting direct reduced iron (DRI), and also providing LCO₂ transportation solutions.

The “K” LINE Group is actively promoting a range of initiatives aimed at supporting its own decarbonisation efforts and those of society in accordance with its long-term environmental guidelines, “K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050 - Blue Seas for the Future.

LETA:  Low Emission Technology Australia (LETA) is a not-for-profit investment fund that accelerates the development and deployment of technology solutions to reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions from hard-to-abate industrial sectors including steel, cement, chemicals, and power generation.

Since 2006, LETA members have contributed more than $400 million to low emissions projects, unlocking a total investment of $1.1 billion. LETA brings together industry, government, and research to drive practical, scalable pathways to net zero for industries that cannot simply electrify.

Kobe Steel, Ltd. (KOBELCO): Is a Japan-based diversified manufacturer with three core business areas: materials, machinery and electric power. Founded in 1905, KOBELCO’s Materials business includes steelmaking and related products that support a wide range of industries.

KOBELCO is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and is advancing initiatives that combine technology development with practical process transition.

As part of its decarbonisation efforts, KOBELCO is exploring pathways including hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Recognising that progress depends not only on technology but also on enabling conditions, KOBELCO works with stakeholders across the value chain—including suppliers, customers, governments and industry bodies—to help build GX supply chains and the market and policy frameworks needed for sustainable decarbonisation.

BHP: Is a global resources company. With more than 90,000 employees and contractors, we work in more than 90 locations worldwide and our products are sold globally. 

We're focused on the resources the world needs to grow and decarbonise. Population growth, urbanisation and improving living standards are global trends that underpin strong demand for the commodities we produce. Demand for essential commodities is expected to increase as the world seeks to decarbonise. Our project pipeline and focus on continuous improvement in existing operations leave us well positioned across our four key commodity pillars of copper, potash, iron ore and steelmaking coal in the decades ahead.  

We are partnering with customers and others to try to accelerate decarbonisation in steelmaking. BHP’s 2030 goals include supporting industry to develop steel production technology capable of 30 per cent lower GHG emissions intensity relative to conventional blast furnace steelmaking, with widespread adoption expected post-2030.  

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India): Is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steel manufacturing organisations. A leading integrated flat carbon steel producer in India, the company has a crude steel capacity of 9 million tonnes per annum with state-of-the-art downstream facilities.

It produces a fully diversified range of flat steel products, including value-added steel, and has a pellet capacity of 20 million tonnes. The company is also setting up an 8.2 million tonnes per annum integrated steel plant in Andhra Pradesh. With the objective to make steel production climate-neutral, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has strategic plans to transition its business to cleaner technology and is looking to strengthen its sustainability roadmap through clean energy sources viz., renewable power, natural gas, carbon capture utilization and/or storage and green hydrogen. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India is the only integrated steel company in India to receive the Green Steel Certificate from the Union Ministry of Steel.

Hyundai Steel Company: Established in 1953 as Korea’s first steel manufacturer, is a member of Hyundai Motor Group and a recognised leader in high-performance steel materials. Hyundai Steel has paved the way for sustainable growth by launching its blast furnace business in the 2010s as a new growth engine, in addition to its existing electric arc furnace-based operations.

Hyundai Steel has served as a prime mover in Korea’s steel industry and is now actively undertaking the establishment of an overseas production base to secure a foundation for future growth. Hyundai Steel aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, emphasising sustainable practices and innovative carbon-neutral technologies to meet government-mandated carbon reduction requirements and become a low-carbon steelmaker.  

JSW Steel: Is the flagship company of the US$23 billion JSW Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate with interests spanning energy, infrastructure, cement, paints, realty, mobility, defence, sports, and venture capital.

Over three decades, JSW Steel has evolved into India’s leading integrated steel producer with a consolidated crude steel capacity of 35.7 MTPA (including 1.5 MTPA in the US), set to grow to 43.4 MTPA in three years.

Its Vijayanagar plant in Karnataka is India’s largest single-location steel facility at 17.5 MTPA. JSW Steel is recognised for sustainability and operational excellence, earning accolades like the Steel Sustainability Champion (2019–2026), Deming Prize for TQM, and top rankings in CDP disclosures and global sustainability indices. It ranks 1st globally in S&P Global CSA Score 2025 and 8th in World-Class Steelmaker Rankings by WSD.

Committed to climate goals, JSW Steel targets a 42% CO₂ reduction by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050, aiming to power steel-making entirely with renewables by 2030. It’s also certified as a Great Place to Work and recognised among India’s best employers in health and wellness.  

Chevron Australia New Energies (CANE): Is a subsidiary of Chevron, one of the world's leading integrated energy companies and through its Australian subsidiaries, has been present in Australia for more than 70 years.

With the ingenuity and commitment of thousands of workers, Chevron in Australia operates the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas facilities and is a significant investor in exploration, operates one of the world’s largest integrated CCS projects at Gorgon, and delivers quality fuels and lubricants primarily via its Caltex network of service stations across Australia.

Globally, Chevron aims to grow its oil and gas business, lower the carbon intensity of its operations, and grow new businesses in renewable fuels, carbon capture and offsets, hydrogen, power generation for data centers, and emerging technologies, through various subsidiaries including CANE.  

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.: Is a global trading and investment company with a presence in more than 60 countries and a diverse business portfolio covering a wide range of industries.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. identifies, develops, and grows its businesses in partnership with a global network of trusted partners including world leading companies, combining its geographic and cross-industry strengths to create long-term sustainable value for its stakeholders.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. has set "Global Energy Transition" as one of Key Strategic Initiatives in the Medium-term Management Plan 2026.  

Hatch: Is a global engineering, project delivery, and professional services firm. We work with clients around the globe to design and build solutions with them.

With seven decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know and understand industry challenges and respond with solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative.

We draw upon our 11,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Media contacts: 

(BHP) Michael Cox 
Tel: +65 8964 3561 
Email: michael.cox1@bhp.com  

(Hatch) Lindsay Janca   
Tel: +1 905 403 4199 
Email: media@hatch.com   

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