Environmental Protection
GHG and Energy
The Mitsui Chemicals Group is striving to reduce GHG emissions and energy consumption by adopting a decarbonized manufacturing approach under its climate change policy.
*Please refer here for other information concerning climate change.
GHG Emissions and Energy Consumption
In response to increasingly serious environmental problems and growing demands for global decarbonization, the Mitsui Chemicals Group announced 2050 Carbon Neutrality Declaration in November 2020, and set a Group target in June 2021 to reduce the Group's global GHG emissions by 40% (compared to FY2013) by FY2030. To achieve these targets, we will actively engage in increasing the adoption of low-carbon raw materials and fuels, promotion of energy efficiency, conversion to renewable energy, and creation of process innovation technologies to build a decarbonized society.
Since fiscal 2007, Mitsui Chemicals has set a target of reducing GHG emissions through energy conservation, and is continuing thorough energy conservation activities at its plants, such as step-by-step enhancement of heat recovery and streamlining of the refining process. In fiscal 2022, we achieved a reduction of 28,000 tons, exceeding our target (a reduction of at least 20,000 tons from the previous year).
GHG emissions reduction rate (Scopes 1 and 2)
*Compared to FY2013
Mitsui Chemicals Group's GHG emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) in fiscal 2022 decreased compared to fiscal 2021 due to lower plant utilization rates resulting from lower demand. With regard to energy consumption, our target was to achieve a five-year average reduction rate of 1% or more in energy intensity, but despite various energy conservation measures in fiscal 2022, we were unable to offset the deterioration in energy intensity due to low capacity utilization, which increased by 0.7% in fiscal 2022. We will continue to aim to achieve a five-year average reduction rate of 1% or more, which is the target of the Energy Conservation Law. However, since it is difficult to evaluate long-term reduction efforts with a five-year average reduction rate because the base year shifts, we will use the benchmark target of the Energy Conservation Law (11.9 GJ/t or less energy consumption per unit production of ethylene at ethylene production facilities) and an energy consumption intensity of 92% or less, which is based on fiscal 2009, as reference indicators for our initiatives to reduce energy consumption.
In addition, we calculate GHG emissions regarding Scopes 1 and 2 emissions generated from in-house operations and production activities as well as Scope 3 for indirect emissions in order to identify GHG emissions throughout the entire supply chain, extending from purchasing raw materials to customer use and disposal.
GHG Emissions (Scopes 1 and 2)
Energy Consumption
*Scope of Japan and overseas affiliates: Consolidated subsidiaries
*GHG emissions calculated in accordance with Japan’s Law Concerning the Promotion of Measures to Cope with Global Warming based on energy consumption figures for overseas consolidated subsidiaries.
*The gases used to calculate GHG emissions are CO2, CH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, SF6, NF3
GHG Emissions (Scope 3) (Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.)
Breakdown of GHG Emissions (Scope 3) (Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Fiscal 2021)
| Category | Emissions (Thousands of tons CO2eq / year) |
|---|---|
| 01: Purchased goods and services | 4,603 |
| 02: Capital goods | 116 |
| 03: Fuel- and energy-related activities (not included in Scopes 1 and 2) | 265 |
| 04: Transportation/distribution (upstream) | 52 |
| 05: Waste generated from operations | 49 |
| 06: Business travel | 1 |
| 07: Employee commuting | 5 |
| 08: Leased assets (upstream) | 1 |
| 11: Sold product specifications | 2,749 |
| 12: Sold product disposals | 2,297 |
| 15: Investment | 672 |
| Total | 10,808 |
[Calculation Method]
Based on "Basic Guidelines for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Via Supply Chains (Ver. 2.4)" by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and "Emission Intensity Database Ver. 3.2 for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Organizations Via Supply Chains." by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, we used emission factors from IDEA, the calculation, reporting, and publication system of the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures, and emission intensities prepared by the Ministry of the Environment.
Highly Efficient Gas Turbine Power Generation System for Self-Sufficiency
Mitsui Chemicals installed a highly efficient gas turbine power generation system in its Osaka Works and commenced operation in December 2020. This was a joint project with Daigas Energy Co., Ltd. under a grant from the 2018 Subsidy for Promoting Investment in Energy Saving provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The system increases the Works’ self-sufficiency in power. It also reduces fuel usage by the naphtha cracking furnaces in the ethylene plant by taking the high-temperature exhaust gas generated by the power generation facilities for use as the combustion air in the furnaces. This is reducing CO2 emissions from Osaka Works by 70,000 tons per year (compared with fiscal 2016).
Energy-Saving Process Using LNG Cold Energy
Together with Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals and its consolidated subsidiary, Osaka Petrochemical Industries, Ltd. have adopted energy-saving process by using liquefied natural gas (LNG)-generated cold energy in the ethylene plant. This world-first energy saving process using LNG-generated cold energy on a large-scale at our ethylene plant commenced in October 2010.
To transport and store natural gas, it is liquefied by cooling it to -160°C. Liquefied gas is a good source of cold energy. During its liquefied state, LNG emits boil off gas which has auto-refrigeration properties. When returning LNG to its gas state, it continues to retain superior cooling abilities. At Mitsui Chemicals’ Osaka Works OPC ethylene plant, after thermal decomposition of naphtha (crude gasoline) at high temperatures, base materials such as ethylene and propylene are separated and purified by cooling the cracked gas. By efficient use of LNG cold energy from the adjacent OPC ethylene plant of Osaka Gas Senboku Works, a significant reduction in CO2 emissions was possible.
CCU (Carbon Capture Usage) Technologies
Mitsui Chemicals took part in the CCU Project (CO2 + H2 ⇒CH3OH +H2O) lead by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) (commissioned by NEDO), and developed a high activity catalyst. Refinement of this highly active catalyst eventually was tested by the pilot plant of CCU technology in Mitsui Chemicals Osaka Works in 2009. This was a verification test, producing 100 tons of methanol per year from hydrogen and CO2 which was contained in the exhaust gases. We have confirmed the conversion ratio from CO2 to methanol and the catalyst life and obtained necessary data items for creating a technological package. However, due to several issues that remained to be addressed concerning costs and availability of hydrogen source, this technology has not yet been commercialized. Nevertheless, we believe that this promising technology should greatly contribute to the realization of low-carbon society which is currently sought by the world.