Finnish oil refining company Neste (Espoo; www.neste.com) is working with Japanese firms Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo; www.mitsuichemicals.com) and Toyota Tsusho (Nagoya; www.toyota-tsusho.com) on the industrial-scale production of plastics and chemicals made from 100% bio-based feedstock. During 2021, Mitsui Chemicals will use Neste’s “RE” renewable raw materials, made entirely from bio-based waste and residue oils, at its Osaka Works site, becoming the first company in Japan to use bio-based feedstock in its crackers.

Mitsui Chemicals will produce a range of renewable chemicals, including ethylene, propylene, C4 fraction, benzene and phenol, among others, and process them into plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, all with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than their fossil-based counterparts.

“Switching fossil feedstock to bio-based feedstock helps combat global warming, and it is regarded as an important strategic focus in the push for reaching carbon neutrality by 2050,” said Hirahara Akio, managing executive officer for corporate sustainability at Mitsui Chemicals. “With this in mind, Mitsui Chemicals will not only go about developing materials from high-quality bio-based feedstock and processes but also work with stakeholders toward getting biomass widely used in society.”

Both Japanese firms intend to acquire the ISCC (www.iscc-system.org) “Plus” certification.