On September 9, 2020, a Japanese government source said Japan and the U.S. will conduct a year-long joint study in northern Alaska starting in April 2021 to produce gas from methane hydrate in permafrost.[1] Methane hydrate, an ice-like substance in which a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water, is seen as a potential alternative source of energy to traditional fossil fuels. Reserves of methane hydrate have been confirmed to be in the seabed of Japan’s coastal water.

The joint study will be conducted by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. They plan to conduct another test to manufacture methane gas in the Pacific in fiscal 2023 or later. According to the source, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is set to allocate funds in its request for the fiscal 2021 budget. The study comes as Japan plans a project aimed at commercializing the use of methane hydrate from Japan’s coastal waters by March 2028. Tokyo is trying to strengthen the development of its domestic energy resources while also promoting the use of wind power and other renewable sources. Tokyo is seeking to strengthen the development of domestic energy resources such as methane hydrate, while promoting the use of wind power and other renewable resources.

[1] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/09/10/national/japan-methane-hydrate-alaska/