English 
Asahi Kasei, Mitsui Chemicals, and Mitsubishi Chemical have agreed to move forward together on decarbonizing ethylene production in western Japan. At the same time, they are looking to better optimize manufacturing capacity across their ethylene facilities in the region.
Discussions between the three companies have been ongoing. The core issue has been how to cut greenhouse gas emissions without disrupting supply or hurting operational efficiency. As part of this effort, they jointly applied to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Fiscal 2025 Support Program for Energy and Manufacturing Process Conversion in Hard to Abate Industries. Their proposal was accepted. With this approval, they can now move ahead with initiatives that include reducing dependence on petroleum based feedstocks and introducing biomass derived raw materials.
Based on the basic agreement, the companies plan to establish a new joint operating entity. This entity will oversee two ethylene production facilities located in western Japan. Under the consolidation plan, operations at the ethylene facility run by Asahi Kasei Mitsubishi Chemical Ethylene Corp. at the Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, are expected to be discontinued. Production will be consolidated at the Osaka Petrochemical Industries facility in Takaishi, Osaka. The companies are aiming for this transition to take place in fiscal 2030.
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Using support from the Hard to Abate Support Program, Asahi Kasei plans to install an initial production facility at its Mizushima Works. This facility will produce ethylene, propylene, and other basic chemicals using bioethanol as the raw material. The plant will apply Revolefin technology, which Asahi Kasei is currently developing. After confirming equipment performance, checking operational stability, and verifying overall process feasibility, the three companies are aiming to begin joint commercial production of decarbonized basic chemicals in fiscal 2034.
At the same time as the planned shutdown of the Mizushima ethylene facility operated by AMEC, Asahi Kasei and Mitsubishi Chemical will move forward with equipment modifications. Further equipment changes are also planned at the Senboku Factory of Osaka Petrochemical Industries. This site will serve as the consolidated production base going forward. Once ethylene production at the Mizushima facility ends, the associated equipment will be dismantled promptly. After dismantling is completed, the three companies will jointly study how the site can be reused in ways that contribute to carbon neutrality.
Ethylene sits at the very beginning of the petrochemical value chain. Products derived from ethylene are used across a wide range of applications. These include everyday consumer goods, automobiles, and materials used in semiconductor related fields. As cutting emissions and reaching carbon neutrality becomes more difficult for individual companies to achieve on their own, collaboration among neighboring petrochemical manufacturers is becoming increasingly important. This includes sharing technology, coordinating investments, and implementing decarbonization measures together.
Through this basic agreement, 旭化成, 三井化学そして 三菱化学 are aiming to deepen their partnership. The focus is on advancing carbon neutrality while also optimizing production in western Japan. The companies plan to operate with transparent management practices. Costs and benefits related to basic chemicals operations will be shared in a fair and rational way. By leveraging the Hard to Abate Support Program, they intend to accelerate the shift toward competitive decarbonized basic chemicals, expand carbon neutral markets across their businesses, and build sustainable long term business models.
日本語