2034 Commercial Launch Target Zeon Breaks Ground on Biomass Butadiene Pilot Plant in Japan

Zeon Corp has started construction on a pilot facility at its Tokuyama plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture to produce butadiene from ethanol sourced from biomass and other feedstocks. The facility is slated for completion in 2026 and aims to validate the production process before moving to larger-scale trials.

The new plant will enable Zeon to produce prototype polybutadiene rubber using this sustainable butadiene, supporting a joint R&D initiative with Yokohama Rubber. Yokohama will use Zeon’s rubber in tire manufacturing and performance testing as part of efforts to commercialize green butadiene and isoprene production.

Zeon’s goal is to achieve full commercial adoption of the technology by 2034, with a larger demonstration plant targeted for completion by 2030. Data from the pilot will inform future scale-up and industrialization efforts.

The project is backed by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), reinforcing the country’s push toward sustainable material innovation.