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The e‑NG Coalition welcomes the launch of Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) activities for the Live Oak project, a large-scale e‑NG (e‑methane) facility under development near Norfolk, Nebraska.
Announced on August 27, 2026, the start of FEED represents a significant milestone in the project’s development and brings Live Oak closer to its targeted Final Investment Decision (FID) by the end of2027. Commercial operations are expected to begin by 2030, subject to the completion of engineering, permitting and investment decisions.
Developed by 5 of the e-NG Coalition members (TotalEnergies, TES, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and ITOCHU), Live Oak is designed to demonstrate how renewable power, biogenic carbon and existing gas infrastructure can be brought together to create a new international supply chain for lower-carbon gas.
Live Oak was launched in 2023 through a partnership between TotalEnergies and TES. In 2025, the project expanded to include Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and ITOCHU, bringing together complementary expertise across renewable energy, e‑NG development, LNG infrastructure, Japanese gas distribution and international project finance.
The consortium’s decision to advance into FEED reflects the progress made since the project’s foundation and the growing focus on developing practical, scalable pathways for e‑NG production and use. The FEED program will be conducted in parallel by U.S.-based KBR and Spain’s Técnicas Reunidas. Both companies specialize in energy infrastructure, natural gas and large-scale industrial projects. Following the studies, one of the two engineering concepts will be selected for execution.
The Live Oak site was selected because Northeast Nebraska brings together several of the essential resources needed for e‑NG production at industrial scale. The region offers strong renewable energy potential, supported by the Midwest’s growing wind and solar capacity. It also has an established agricultural and bioethanol industry capable of supplying biogenic carbon dioxide.
Live Oak will capture CO₂ from bioethanol plants and combine it with renewable hydrogen to produce synthetic methane through methanation. The project’s use of biogenic CO₂ uses a biogenic CO2 stream from fermentation, enabling the resulting gas to displace fossil natural gas in end-use.
The project is also being designed with local resource efficiency in mind. Live Oak is working closely with the City of Norfolk on a potential solution based on the reuse of treated wastewater rather than relying exclusively on fresh water for its industrial needs. This approach could help reduce pressure on fresh water resources while supporting new industrial activity in the region.
Live Oak is targeting approximately 250 MW of electrolysis capacity and around 75,000 tonnes of e‑NG production per year.
The production process will follow three main stages:
The resulting gas is chemically identical to conventional natural gas. This is central to the project’s value proposition: e‑NG can enter existing natural gas systems and can also be used by customers without modifications to their equipment.
Once produced, Live Oak e‑NG is designed to follow the existing natural gas supply chain. It can be transported through pipelines, liquefied, shipped, regasified and distributed through Japanese city-gas networks. Osaka Gas and Toho Gas are expected to serve as the project’s primary off takers. The project will support their objective of introducing 1% carbon-neutral gas, including e‑NG, into their gas networks by2030.
This creates a direct link between renewable resources in the United States and gas demand in Japan. It also demonstrates how e‑NG can be produced in regions with suitable renewable power and biogenic CO₂ resources, then transported to international markets using infrastructure that already exists. For customers, this also offers an important and progressive decarbonization pathway. Rather than requiring an entirely new energy system, e‑NG can be introduced into existing gas networks and supply chains over time, helping reduce the carbon intensity of gas supply while maintaining the reliability and flexibility associated with gaseous energy.
The launch of FEED is important not only for Live Oak, but for the wider e‑NG value chain. First, it advances e‑NG from project concept toward industrial execution. The scale of the planned electrolyzer and methanation facility demonstrates the potential for e‑NG production to move beyond small-scale applications and become part of the broader energy and gas strategies worldwide.
Second, Live Oak is designed around a complete value chain. It brings together renewable electricity, hydrogen production, biogenic CO₂ capture, methanation, pipeline transport, liquefaction, international shipping, regasification and city-gas distribution.
Third, the project provides a concrete example of cross-border cooperation and how it can work. Its development brings together U.S. and European engineering expertise, international energy companies and Japanese gas utilities with a clear interest in lower-carbon gas supply. By demonstrating how cross-border cooperation can work efficiently in practice, the project can also encourage stronger international regulations for e‑NG and ultimately provide greater certainty for investors.
Finally, Live Oak has the potential to provide a replicable model for future e‑NG projects. The individual technologies involved are already understood and used across industry. The project’s significance lies in integrating them at scale and connecting them across an international supply chain
As the Live Oak consortium moves through FEED, the project is helping demonstrate how e‑NG can contribute to a more flexible, interconnected and lower-carbon energy system. Its development reinforces the importance of combining strong resource fundamentals with clear demand signals, existing infrastructure and international cooperation. It also highlights the role that e‑NG can play in linking renewable energy production with sectors and markets that continue to rely on gaseous energy.
The e‑NG Coalition welcomes the launch of FEED and congratulates TotalEnergies, TES, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and ITOCHU on this important step forward.
Live Oak’s progress shows how renewable power and recycled biogenic carbon can be transformed into a globally tradable molecule, using infrastructure that is already in place. As the project advances toward execution, it will provide valuable momentum for the continued development of a credible, investable and globally connected e‑NG market.
Learn more about the Live Oak project: Live Oak | Electric Natural Gas from Nebraska
Read the full FEED announcement: Live Oak FEED Announcement
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For more information, contact Mariana Tostes at mariana.tostes@eng-coalition.org
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