Mitsubishi Gas Chemical signed a Basic Agreement with Niigata Prefecture on the Purchase and Sale of Biogas

　Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc. (MGC; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Masashi Fujii) is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the "Sale of Unused Biogas through the Public Proposal Method" ("this Public Proposal") conducted by Niigata Prefecture, as the biogas user, and has concluded a basic agreement on the purchase and sale of biogas with Niigata Prefecture.

　This Public Proposal was conducted for the purpose of selling and effectively using unused biogas generated from the sewerage treatment plant (septic center) owned by Niigata Prefecture, and we proposed the production of bio-methanol using this biogas.

　Bio-methanol is produced from both methane and carbon dioxide, which are the main components of biogas. We plan to start manufacturing using our existing equipment at our Niigata Plant in the spring of 2024. As a product of Carbopath™, the brand of the "Circular Carbon Methanol" promoted by MGC, it is assumed that the Bio-methanol will be used in a wide range of applications such as chemical feedstock, fuels, and hydrogen feedstock, and in the future, we will further expand the use of biogas at the Niigata Plant to reduce the carbon footprint of our products and promote carbon neutrality.

　This initiative not only responds to requests from customers who expect the supply of green chemicals derived from biomass, but also contributes to decarbonization in line with the "Niigata Prefecture Strategy for Achieving Zero Carbon by 2050" and the "Niigata Prefecture Carbon Neutral Industry Vision" promoted by Niigata Prefecture.

　In addition, the produced bio-methanol will be certified by ISCC PLUS certification (Note 1). Together with our existing ISCC PLUS certification (Trader with Storage), this bio-methanol will be sold as a product that is assigned to use sustainable raw materials through the mass balance method and we will efficiently deliver to customers in various regions Japan by fully utilizing our existing supply chain.

　Based on our mission of "Creating value to share with society," we will continue to realize the social implementation of Carbopath™ while complementing our collaborators through cross-sectoral public-private and industrial cooperation, build a carbon-neutral society based on the reduction of greenhouse gases and the recycling of resources, and actively promote the realization of a decarbonized society and a recycling-oriented society.