Turning waste into treasure! Sekisui Chemical's garbage for bioethanol

Japan's Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. (Sekisui Chemical) plans to begin verifying the production of bioethanol from waste at the end of fiscal year 2021-22.

On April 16, Sekisui Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and Japan Investment Corporation established a joint venture, Sekisui Bio Refinery, and plans to establish a plant to produce bioethanol from waste materials in Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan. The company is expected to conduct final verification and commercial operations by fiscal 2025-26.

The technology developed by the company in cooperation with American recycling company LanzaTechwill can convert flammable waste into bioethanol. Flammable garbage includes plastic, woody biomass and paper, clothing and kitchen waste.

As part of the verification process, Sekisui Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. plans to invest 7,300 tons of waste per year into bioethanol. The company plans to expand production capacity immediately after commercial operations to provide bioethanol to chemical companies and trading companies that manufacture plastic products. The planned production capacity of the plant was not disclosed.

According to data released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, Japan ’s total bioethanol imports last year were 417,813 pounds, all of which were imported from Brazil, with an increase of 11.3% from approximately 375,462 pounds in the same period last year.