Mitsui Kinzoku Company, Limited (President: Seiji Ikenobu ; “Mitsui Kinzoku”) hereby announces that a project undertaken by the Company to conduct performance evaluation and equipment design of methanol synthesis technology using porous ceramic separation membranes has been selected for the FY2026 “Subsidy Program for Decarbonization and Energy Transition Technology Projects in Resource-Rich Countries” administered by Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.
In recent years, expectations have been rising for technologies that produce fuels and chemical products from underutilized resources such as waste, as part of efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. Among these, methanol - expected to be used as a feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and as a marine fuel - is attracting growing attention as an energy carrier that can support a decarbonized society. At the same time, diversification of feedstocks and greater efficiency in production processes remain key challenges.
Under this project, the performance evaluation of methanol synthesis technology using porous ceramic separation membranes, which have been jointly developed to date by eSep Inc. (headquartered in Kyoto, Japan) and Mitsui Kinzoku, will be entrusted to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency. Through this initiative, the Company will conduct objective technical verification, identify technical challenges, and carry out design work toward future demonstration. Mitsui Kinzoku is planning a demonstration project in Australia for technology to produce methanol from a waste-derived syngas generated from municipal solid waste and other sources, and this project will serve as an important step toward that demonstration.
Through this project, Mitsui Kinzoku aims to accelerate, through collaboration between Japan and Australia, the development of low-carbon fuel production technologies, including methanol. In doing so, the Company seeks to contribute to the diversification and resilience of future fuel supply chains and, ultimately, to securing the stable supply of energy resources for Japan.
Guided by its corporate purpose, “We promote the well-being of the world through a spirit of exploration and diverse technologies,” Mitsui Kinzoku will continue to pursue its 2030 Vision of becoming a company that creates new businesses through the intelligent use of materials, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.
Please check the below PDF file for details.
Selected for FY2026 Subsidy Program of Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy “Subsidy for Support Projects for Decarbonization and Energy Transition Technologies in Resource-Rich Countries”