Photo 1. Participants of the MLP 3.0 Technical Workshop at JOGMEC Technology & Research Center, Japan.
Source: JOGMEC documentation
Chiba, Japan, 9 September 2026 – The ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Leadership Programme (MLP) Secretariat convenes the MLP 3.0 Technical Workshop: Advancing Methane Performance Across the LNG Value Chain in Tokyo and Chiba, in conjunction with the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference (LNG PCC) 2026. Co-organised with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and PETRONAS, the workshop's two-day technical session and site visit bring together some 80 participants from ASEAN energy companies, LNG producers and consumers, technology providers, financiers, and research institutions. On the third day, the MLP 3.0 Secretariat takes part in the LNG PCC 2026, co-hosted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Launched in 2023 and carried forward through MLP 2.0, the MLP has now entered its third phase. MLP 3.0 accelerates the practical implementation of methane emissions reduction across Southeast Asia through technical capacity building, technology deployment, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, with the Technical Workshop and its side event bridging regional knowledge sharing with the broader producer-consumer dialogue convened separately at LNG PCC.
Technical Workshop at JOGMEC Technology & Research Center, Chiba
Photo 2. Opening Remarks by (left to right) Suwanto, Head of the Fossil Fuels, Hydrocarbon, and Minerals (FOM) Department of ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE); Hiroyuki Mori, Executive Vice President of Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC); Lauren Ward, Programme Manager of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC). Source: JOGMEC documentation
The workshop aims to focus on strengthening methane transparency, advancing technical solutions, and improving alignment between LNG producers and consumers. The workshop opened with remarks from Suwanto, Head of the Fossil Fuels, Hydrocarbon, and Minerals (FOM) Department at ACE, Hiroyuki Mori, Executive Vice President of JOGMEC, and Lauren Ward, Programme Manager of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC). These opening remarks highlighted methane as a shared concern for energy security and the energy transition, rather than a trade-off between them. Collectively, their remarks emphasised the need for capacity building for practical implementation, credible emissions data, technology deployment, collaboration, and common frameworks to support methane reduction.
The morning sessions brought together regulators, industry initiatives, and technical partners to discuss developments in methane transparency and regulation. Coalition for LNG Emission Abatement toward Net-zero (CLEAN) initiative highlighted growing traction to improve methane emissions data and transparency between LNG producers and buyers. Furthermore, the growing importance of credible measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV), improved data quality, and preparedness for evolving market expectations was also highlighted. The session also presented the OGDC 2025 Report, noting that ASEAN methane emissions are declining but not fast enough to meet the sector's near-zero upstream ambition for 2030.
Photo 3. Panel Discussion with Raysieo Duakin (moderator), Senior Research Analyst, Fossil Fuels, Hydrocarbon, and Minerals (FOM) Department, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE); Makoto Shimouchi, Project Director, LNG and Methane Management Division of JOGMEC; Hiroshi Hashimoto, Senior Fellow for LNG and Gas of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ); Pretty Mayang Arum, Senior Expert Environment, Policy, Standard, and Risk Management of PERTAMINA.
Source: JOGMEC documentation
The morning continued with a panel discussion on “Producer-Consumer Alignment on Methane Transparency and Lower-Methane LNG.” The discussion examined how producers, buyers, and international initiatives can align expectations on methane performance, while supporting energy security, supply resilience, and affordability. Overall, it reinforced the need for greater alignment across the value chain, with producers strengthening methane performance and transparency, buyers providing clearer market signals, and governments and international initiatives supporting enabling frameworks.
In the afternoon, the workshop then shifted towards practical methane management through industry experience, technology deployment, certification, and financing. An industry case study demonstrated how methane management can be integrated into operations through measurement-based reporting aligned with the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0.
On the technology side, several methane detection and quantification technologies were introduced, all while highlighting the importance of selecting fit-for-purpose solutions according to emission sources and facility characteristics. The commercial dimensions of methane management were further explored through the discussion on certification and financing.
Given global methane developments, the session noted that value chain certification and transparent methane performance information can strengthen confidence across the LNG value chain. Meanwhile, the role of financing was underscored to support the deployment of methane abatement and lower-carbon LNG projects. Moreover, the session also highlighted the role of upstream methane emissions in clean hydrogen certification, including the importance of lifecycle emissions accounting, carbon-intensity calculations, MRV, and data quality.
Photo 4. Group Interactive Session with Raysieo Duakin (moderator), Senior Research Analyst, Fossil Fuels, Hydrocarbon, and Minerals (FOM) Department, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE); Shalita Aman, Senior Manager, Hydrocarbon Value Leakages Reduction, ​Carbon Management Division, Upstream, PETRONAS​​; Takahiro Okazaki, Group Leader, ​GHG Management Group, JGC Corporation​; Yvette Manolas, Special Advisor for MiQ,​ Yvette Manolas Consulting Pty Ltd​; Yukimi Shimura, Director of Corporate Engagement (GX Sustainability), ​Sustainable Business Division, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Ltd​; Dr Lee Hyejin, Head, ​Department of the Clean Hydrogen Certification Research, Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI)​​.
Source: JOGMEC documentation
The Workshop was concluded with a Group Interactive Session. Through live polling, participants consolidated the key insights from the technical sessions and considered practical implementation pathways under MLP 3.0. Participants highlighted transparency and traceability as important factors in strengthening confidence in methane emissions data, while policy, regulation and certification emerged as key considerations for scaling methane reduction. Discussions also highlighted the potential economic value of capturing gas that would otherwise be vented or flared, strengthening the business case for suitable abatement opportunities.
Overall, the Workshop represented a significant step toward aligning ASEAN producers, East Asian buyers, technology providers, and financiers around shared priorities for methane performance across the LNG value chain. Suwanto closed the day by positioning MLP 3.0 as the platform to move from knowledge exchange to implementation, supporting ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030, OGDC, and OGMP 2.0.
Site Visit at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and JGC Research & Development Center
Day 2 moved from knowledge exchange to technology demonstration through site visits to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and JGC Holdings’ Research & Development Center.
Photo 5. Participants at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s Tsukuba Space Center, Japan.
Source: JOGMEC documentation
At JAXA, participants explored satellite-based approaches for measuring methane to detect and quantify emissions, with explanations provided by JAXA and Mitsubishi Electric. The visit highlighted how satellite monitoring can provide wider-area visibility and complement other measurement approaches, while acknowledging the value of combining satellite data with ground-based instruments to improve the targeting and quantification of methane emissions.
Photo 6. Participants at the JGC Holdings’ Research & Development Center, Japan (Source: JOGMEC documentation)
Then, the site visit proceeded to the JGC Research & Development Center, where participants gained first-hand exposure to methane measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) approaches, technology testing and validation, including a demonstration and explanation of the several technologies.
The two site visits highlighted that no single technology can address all facilities or emission sources. Technology selection should therefore be guided by data quality, operational needs, and scalability across ASEAN.
Closing
As MLP 3.0 progresses, the focus remains on accelerating commitments into actions by connecting technical expertise, technology deployment, financing, commercial mechanisms and producer-consumer cooperation. Through these efforts, MLP 3.0 seeks to translate collaboration into practical solutions and measurable methane reductions, while contributing to a more resilient regional energy system.
