Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. (MGC; Tokyo) announced it has commenced construction of a methanol production demonstration facility within its Mizushima Plant. The facility will utilize diverse gases, including CO2 and industrial by-product gases as raw materials.
The construction of the Demonstration Facility aligns with the objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with JFE Steel Corporation and Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 100 tons of methanol and is expected to begin demonstration operations in FY2026.
The Demonstration Facility has been selected as an indirect subsidy project for FY2024 under the “Subsidy for Petroleum Supply Structure Improvement Projects” program operated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.
Reducing GHG emissions in the industrial sector is a major societal challenge in addressing climate change. Methanol, one of the fundamental chemical substances, can be synthesized from captured CO2, waste plastics, biomass, and other sources. It is gaining attention as a sustainable next-generation energy source, including marine fuel, and is widely regarded as a key material for GHG reduction and the establishment of a carbon-recycling society due to its diverse applications in various industries.
The Demonstration Facility will enable the demonstration of methanol production technology utilizing diverse gases as raw materials, including CO2 and by-product gases from industrial processes. From FY2026, the facility will seek to validate technology for producing methanol by directly reacting by-product gases emitted from the steel-manufacturing process with hydrogen. Furthermore, the facility is being designed as a mobile plant that can be relocated, thereby enabling future demonstrations of methanol production technology from diverse gas sources across various locations in Japan.