AGC and Mitsubishi Gas to look at commercialisation of carbon methanol
Japanese firms AGC and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company have agreed to begin the study regarding the production and sale of methanol made from CO2 generated from AGC’s architectural glass production, by applying the methanol production technology developed by MGC. This study targets commercialisation by around 2030 at AGC‘s Kashima Plant, and when achieved, it will be the world’s first case of producing and selling Circular Carbon Methanol (CCM) that effectively utilises the CO2 generated from glass production.
In recent years, carbon-capture and utilisation (CCU) technology, which captures and utilises CO2, has been attracting attention as an innovative technology for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Methanol also has a wide range of applications as an essential chemicals, and in recent years, its use for conversion to ethylene and propylene has been expanding. As such, it is expected that its utilisation will widen the possibility towards carbon neutrality.
The goal of this study is to use CCU technology to convert the CO2 generated at Japan’s largest architectural glass manufacturing facility into methanol, which will then be produced and sold. While chemical products that use captured CO2 as a raw material can reduce environmental burden, the higher cost associated with CO2 capture and conversion compared to conventional manufacturing methods is an issue.
To address this, MGC will promote the social value of its “CCM,” which offers low environmental burden, and cultivate customers through its existing sales network.
In addition to this study, AGC is also considering replacing methane gas used as a raw material in its own chemical business with CCM, with a view to commercialising chemical products based on carbon recycling.
