Cement Australia and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Begin Joint Study on the Production of Green Methanol using Green Hydrogen and CO₂

　Cement Australia (CA), a Holcim and Heidelberg Materials joint venture company – (Head Office: Darra, Queensland; CEO: Rob Davies), and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC) – (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masashi Fujii) have signed a memorandum of understanding to study the manufacture and sale of green methanol made from carbon dioxide (CO₂) captured at CA’s Gladstone plant and green hydrogen using MGC's newly developed green methanol production technology.

　At the forefront of sustainability, the project includes the use of renewable electricity as well as the replacement of fossil fuels with hydrogen and oxygen generated in the Gladstone Region.

　The Gladstone region is the ideal location for growing a diverse green hydrogen sector with abundant renewable energy sources, existing infrastructure including port facilities and a highly skilled workforce. The green hydrogen economy is a priority for the Queensland Government under the Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy. The Project is aligned with the Strategy and plays an important role in the development downstream from the green hydrogen hub.

　The capture and use of CO₂ emitted by its operations into value added products is a strategic pillar of CA’s decarbonization roadmap. Leading the shift to green construction in Australia, CA is committed to advancing Australia’s 2050 net-zero targets from deploying its green building materials at scale to advancing next generation technologies such as carbon capture and utilization.

　Based on MGC’s mission of "Creating value to share with society," MGC has been promoting Circular Carbon Methanol ("Carbopath^TM" ^*1), a technology for recycling CO₂, waste plastics, biomass and other inputs into methanol for use in chemical products, fuel, and power generation. Carbopath^TM uses proprietary catalysts that MGC has developed over many years.

　Through this collaboration, CA and MGC aim to establish an approach to carbon capture and utilization (CCU) that can accelerate the transition to a net-zero future. Methanol can be used for a range of products and because it can be produced from CO₂ it is expected to be a powerful resource for building a carbon-neutral society through the deployment of CCU. The project envisions selling the green methanol from this project to a wide range of consumers who demand circular and environmentally friendly chemical products.

　CA and MGC will study the commercialization of green products and promote cross-industry initiatives between the public and private sectors, not only in the chemical industry but also across industries. Creating a market for domestically produced green products will spread the benefits of CCU deployment across society while helping to build a decarbonized world.

Left: CEO Rob Davies, CA
Center: Treasurer Cameron Dick, the Queensland Government
Right: Executive officer Takayuki Miyamoto, MGC

*1: Circular Carbon Methanol (CCM) has been officially named “Carbopath^TM” by MGC. The name Carbopath^TM expresses MGC’s desire to be a pioneer in promoting CCM.
https://www.mgc.co.jp/eng/corporate/news/2022/210704-e.html

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