Japan's Sumitomo Chemical has finished constructing a pilot facility in Chiba Prefecture for producing ethylene from ethanol and plans to use it to validate and scale up process technology developed by French technology provider Axens. Axens' Atol technology transforms ethanol into polymer-grade ethylene.
The plant will employ ethanol derived from combustible waste produced by a joint venture of Sekisui Chemical and INCJ, Ltd. This plant in Kuji, Japan, utilizes employs a microbial catalyst jointly developed by Sekisui and LanzaTech to synthesize ethanol. Sumitomo Chemical will also utilize ethanol derived from sugarcane and corn to synthesize ethylene in the pilot plant, with the objective of commercializing technology in fiscal 2025.
Image: Sekisui Chemical
Comments