KBR and Técnicas Reunidas are conducting parallel front-end engineering design studies for the proposed Norfolk facility, which targets approximately 250 MW of electrolysis and potential commercial operations by 2030.
Published by Allstream Insiders
Allstream Insiders Summary
KBR has been selected to perform front-end engineering design work for the proposed Live Oak electric natural gas project in Norfolk, Nebraska. The development is being advanced by a consortium comprising TotalEnergies, Tree Energy Solutions, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and ITOCHU Corporation.
The project targets approximately 250 MW of water-electrolysis capacity and 75,000 tonnes per year of methanation capacity. Live Oak would combine renewable hydrogen with biogenic carbon dioxide captured from bioethanol plants to produce synthetic methane, also called electric natural gas or e-NG.
The consortium aims to complete FEED and begin project execution in 2027, subject to the development reaching a final investment decision. Commercial operations could begin by 2030, according to the companies.
KBR and Técnicas Reunidas will complete parallel FEED studies
KBR’s award represents one of two parallel FEED studies commissioned by the Live Oak consortium. The consortium said KBR and Spain-based Técnicas Reunidas were selected through a competitive process and will each develop an engineering concept. One of the two concepts is expected to be selected for execution after the studies are completed.
This distinction means KBR has secured FEED work for the proposed facility, but the consortium has not announced a final engineering, procurement and construction contractor.
KBR said its work will draw on the company’s experience in hydrogen, electrolysis technologies and large-scale energy-transition projects. Jay Ibrahim, president of KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions, described Live Oak as “one of the largest e-methane projects currently under development in North America.”
What is the Live Oak e-NG project?
Live Oak is a proposed synthetic-methane production facility planned for Norfolk, Nebraska. The project would use renewable electricity to split water through electrolysis, producing hydrogen. That hydrogen would then be combined with biogenic carbon dioxide recovered from Nebraska bioethanol plants through a methanation process.
The resulting e-NG is chemically equivalent to conventional natural gas. The consortium says this compatibility would allow it to move through existing natural-gas and LNG systems, including liquefaction, marine transportation, regasification and gas-delivery infrastructure.
| Project detail | Company-reported information |
|---|---|
| Project | Live Oak |
| Location | Norfolk, Nebraska |
| Development | Large-scale electric natural gas, or e-methane, production facility |
| Electrolysis target | Approximately 250 MW |
| Methanation target | Approximately 75,000 tonnes per year |
| FEED contractors | KBR and Técnicas Reunidas, working on parallel concepts |
| Next project milestone | Complete FEED and pursue a final investment decision in 2027 |
| Potential commercial operations | By 2030 |
| Target market | Japan |
Live Oak consortium combines U.S., European and Japanese partners
TotalEnergies and TES each hold a 33.35% interest in Live Oak, while Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and ITOCHU collectively hold the remaining 33.3%. The project was launched by TotalEnergies and TES in 2023, with the three Japanese companies later joining the development.
Osaka Gas and Toho Gas are expected to serve as the project’s primary offtakers. The consortium plans to export the e-NG to Japan using existing U.S. natural-gas and LNG infrastructure. The Japanese utilities have identified e-NG as part of their objective to introduce 1% carbon-neutral gas into their supplied gas volumes by 2030.
What could the FEED phase define?
Front-end engineering design is expected to establish the technical configuration, execution basis and cost framework needed for the consortium to evaluate a final investment decision. For a project combining electrolysis, carbon-dioxide handling and methanation, that work could define how the major process units, utilities and site infrastructure would be integrated.
Based solely on the publicly disclosed project configuration—not on announced procurement packages—the development could eventually involve work associated with:
- Electrolyzer systems, transformers, substations and other high-voltage electrical equipment
- Water treatment, purification, cooling-water and utility systems
- Biogenic carbon-dioxide capture interfaces, conditioning, compression and transportation
- Methanation reactors, compressors, heat exchangers and process-control systems
- Gas treatment, metering, storage and natural-gas interconnection facilities
- Pipe, valves, fittings, instrumentation and specialty materials for hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane service
- Civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and construction-management services
These categories are Allstream’s assessment of the types of work commonly associated with the announced facility configuration. They are not confirmed bid packages, contract opportunities or procurement notices. Project scope, schedule and contracting strategy remain subject to FEED, final concept selection, commercial arrangements, permitting and a final investment decision.
Why the Nebraska e-NG project matters
Live Oak is designed to connect Nebraska’s bioethanol industry and renewable-power resources with the international LNG value chain. Rather than requiring a separate fuel-delivery system, the consortium plans to produce a methane molecule compatible with infrastructure already used to handle natural gas.
The start of parallel FEED moves the proposal into a more detailed engineering phase, but it does not represent authorization to construct the project. The 2027 concept selection and final investment decision will determine whether Live Oak advances into execution toward its potential 2030 operating target.
