Japanese petrochemical producer Tosoh has started the production of isocyanates by using captured carbon dioxide (CO2) at its Nanyo plant in Yamaguchi prefecture, in line with its decarbonization efforts.
Tosoh's new facility, which can capture 40,000 t/yr of CO2 and generate unspecified volumes of carbon monoxide (CO), started operations this month, a company spokesperson told Argus on 14 November, after the completion of its construction at end-October.
Before converting CO2 into CO, the firm will capture CO2 from the conventional facility that uses naphtha to manufacture CO — a feedstock used to manufacture isocyanate goods such as methylene bisphenyl isocyanate (MDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Isocyanates are used to manufacture polyurethane.
Tosoh's reliance on the new feedstock will curb its existing use of petroleum feedstock naphtha. But the firm declined to disclose how much naphtha usage it has reduced.
Tosoh produces 400,000 t/yr of MDI and 43,000 t/yr of HDI at the Nanyo plant.
Tosoh has set a goal to achieve a 30pc reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by the April 2030-March 2031 fiscal year against 8.33mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2018-19, before becoming carbon neutral by 2050-51.
It targets to curb 3pc of its GHG emissions by 2030-31 through the conversion of CO2 into petrochemical feedstock.
