Green Earth Institute (GEI), Nippon Paper Industries and Sumitomo have reached an agreement to establish a joint venture company, Morisora Bio Refinery LLC, which will focus on the production and sale of bioethanol and biochemicals derived from woody biomass.
Establishment of the joint venture is scheduled for March 2025.
The agreement will bring the construction of a semi-commercial plant at Nippon Paper's Iwanuma Mill in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
Using sustainable forest resources from the Tohoku region, such as wood scraps from sawmills, GEI's proprietary low-carbon, cost-efficient bioethanol production process will be used to produce over 1,000kL of bioethanol annually starting in 2027.
Subsequently, with the full-scale introduction and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel in Japan anticipated around 2030, the joint venture is targeting the operation of a commercial plant capable of producing tens of thousands of kilolitres of bioethanol and biochemicals per year.
Aiming to become a leading comprehensive biomass company, Nippon Paper said it will leverage its experience in papermaking and pulp manufacturing technology to quickly establish large-scale production and a robust supply system for woody biomass-derived bioethanol.
Sumitomo, Green Earth Institute and Nippon Paper Industries jointly establish biomass firm
