KBR has been selected by Live Oak consortium to provide front-end engineering design (FEED) services for the proposed Live Oak project in Norfolk, Nebraska.

The Live Oak consortium is an international partnership comprising TotalEnergies, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas, ITOCHU Corporation and Tree Energy Solutions (TES).

The project represents a significant step forward in the development of large-scale electric natural gas (e-NG), also known as e-methane, production in the United States.

Subject to a Final Investment Decision in 2027, the project is scheduled to begin commercial operations by 2030, with plans to export e-NG to Japan.

KBR will execute the FEED scope for the facility, which is expected to produce e-NG using renewable hydrogen generated through approximately 250 MW of water electrolysis and biogenic carbon dioxide.

The hydrogen and captured biogenic CO₂ will be combined to produce synthetic methane, supporting the growing demand for lower-carbon energy solutions.

Chemically identical to conventional natural gas, e-NG can be seamlessly integrated into existing LNG infrastructure, including liquefaction, transportation, regasification, and distribution, without any alterations to consumer equipment.

“We are pleased to support the Live Oak consortium and its partners on this strategically important project,” said Jay Ibrahim, President, KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions. “This award reflects KBR’s proven ability to deliver large-scale energy transition projects, our deep expertise in hydrogen and electrolysis technologies, strong U.S. execution capabilities and successful track record supporting TotalEnergies worldwide. We look forward to helping advance one of the largest e-methane projects currently under development in North America.” -OGN/TradeArabia News Service