Mitsui Chemicals and Kaisei partner to commercialise a new approach for bio-polypropylene production
Type of post: NEWS.
Mitsui
Chemicals, Inc. is collaborating with Kaisei
Inc. to commercialize bio-polypropylene (bio-PP). Japan's Ministry of the
Environment has adopted Mitsui Chemicals' bio-PP pilot project to boost the use
of renewable resources and support a carbon-free society.
Press release: “Mitsui Chemicals Group's Bio-Polypropylene Adopted for Project
Commissioned by Ministry of the Environment”, 26/9/2019.
Related post: “A
partnership between IKEA and Neste will make bio-polypropylene commercial
production possible”, 8/6/2018.
Figure 1. Mitsui Chemicals’ approach for bio-PP
production (extracted from the press release)
The name of the initiative is Bio-PP pilot and it
is a three-year project beginning in 2019. Mitsui Chemicals will develop a bio-PP
industrialization demonstration test, conducting multifaceted evaluations of
technologies, quality, economic efficiency and environmental impact. Kaisei
will cultivate biomass feedstock used by Mitsui Chemicals, collect wastes
generated from biomass feedstock, supply electricity to manufacturing
facilities and produce biofertilizer. By collaborating with Kaisei, Mitsui
Chemicals aims to contribute to society through environmentally friendly action
with a circular model that leverages the supply chain.
Figure 2. Circular model throughout the
manufacturing supply chain (extracted from the press release)
PP has a wide range of applications (automobile parts,
medical care products, home appliances, packaging…) and accounts for more than
20% of the plastic produced in Japan. However, due to technical difficulties, production
of PP from biomass has not been established at the industrial level. After the
project, Mitsui Chemicals will consider commercialization of bio-PP (production
would start in 2024 at the shortest).