Decarbonization: Japanese Chemical Companies Cooperate
Asahi Kasei, Mitsui Chemicals and Mitsubishi Chemical have signed an agreement in principle to establish a new joint operating company for the two ethylene production plants in western Japan.
Under this agreement, operations at Asahi Kasei Mitsubishi Chemical Ethylene Corp.'s (AMEC) ethylene production plant in Mizushima, Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, will be phased out by fiscal year 2030, and ethylene production will be consolidated at Osaka Petrochemical Industries' (OPC) plant in Takaishi, Osaka.
The companies were selected for Japan’s Fiscal 2025 Support Program for Energy and Manufacturing Process Conversion in Hard-to-Abate Industries by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The initiative promotes the use of biomass feedstocks to reduce dependence on petroleum-based resources.
Under the program, Asahi Kasei will build a plant at its Mizushima site to produce ethylene, propylene, and other basic chemicals from bioethanol using its Revolefin technology. Following performance evaluation, joint commercial production is planned for fiscal 2034.
The project includes converting AMEC’s Mizushima facility and consolidating operations at Mitsubishi Chemical’s Senboku OPC site. After decommissioning, the companies plan to explore carbon‑neutral uses for the vacated site.
Through their Memorandum of Understanding, the three partners aim to advance carbon neutrality, optimize ethylene production in western Japan, and establish sustainable, CO₂‑neutral chemical business models.
