Sumitomo Chemical announced it has started operating a pilot facility at its Chiba Works site in Sodegaura, Japan, to demonstrate a proprietary process that produces propylene directly from ethanol. The technology is supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund.
Propylene is a key chemical building block widely used in plastics production, and in Japan it is primarily derived from fossil-based naphtha, according to the company. Because ethanol can be produced from sources including biomass and waste, industry researchers have been pursuing it as an alternative feedstock to reduce reliance on fossil resources.
Sumitomo Chemical’s process produces propylene in one step without requiring intermediates such as ethylene, the company said. The method reportedly also generates hydrogen as a byproduct, which, when combined with bioethanol feedstocks, can yield bio-derived hydrogen.
The company said it plans to collect data to advance industrialization of the process and aims to commercialize and license the technology in the early 2030s.
