Nippon Paper Industries Co., Sumitomo Corp, and Green Earth Institute Co. reached an agreement to establish a joint-venture company called Morisora Bio Refinery LLC, which will engage in the production and sale of bioethanol and biochemicals produced from woody biomass. Establishment of the joint venture has been scheduled for March 2025.
With a focus on becoming a leading comprehensive biomass company in Japan, Nippon Paper used its accumulated experience in papermaking and pulp manufacture technologies to quickly set up its hull operations and strong supply chain of wood biomass-derived bio-ethanol. This will speed the company's market entry into the biochemical sector and contribute towards building a decarbonized society and working towards global warming prevention.
The joint venture will build a semi-commercial plant at Nippon Paper's Iwanuma Mill in Miyagi Prefecture. Using sustainable forest resources from the Tohoku region, including wood scraps from sawmills, GEI's proprietary low-carbon, cost-effective bioethanol production process will produce more than 1,000 kL of bioethanol annually beginning in 2027.
The Sumitomo Corporation is implementing businesses that, on the basis of creating a sustainable energy cycle in society, will aim for carbon neutrality in their business activities by the year 2050. Through the course of this project, Sumitomo Corporation plans to manage stable supplier sources of raw materials, promote the construction of the domestic SAF supply chain and contribute to Japan's energy security. It will also apply knowledge from this project to the development of SAF manufacturing and sales businesses worldwide. By applying their participation and effort in promoting various projects using region-based raw materials and production means, Sumitomo will be able to decarbonize the aviation industry and ensure a stable supply of low-carbon biofuels.
As a company committed to "Fostering green technology and walking with the Earth," GEI promotes the realization of a decarbonized society mainly by commercial-scale production of bioethanol from non-food biomass through sports biomanufacturing in Japan.