MGC Achieves ISCC PLUS Certification for Bio-methanol and DME

　Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masashi Fujii) announces today that it has acquired International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS for Bio-methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) produced at its Niigata Plant.

　MGC has signed a Basic Agreement with Niigata Prefecture on the Purchase and Sales of Biogas to ensure the effective utilization of unused biogas generated from its sewage treatment plants (septic center). With this certification, MGC can manufacture and sell Bio-methanol produced from this unused biogas as an ISCC PLUS certified product manufactured via the mass balance method.

　MGC will use existing facilities at Niigata Factory to process bio-methane and bio-CO₂, the main components of biogas, and will start producing Bio-methanol in the spring of 2024. Bio-methanol produced via this method will be used in a wide range of applications including as a chemical feedstock, fuel, and hydrogen carrier, all under the Carbopath™ brand developed as part of MGC's Circular Carbon Methanol (CCM) concept. This certification also facilitates the use of Bio-methanol as an ISCC PLUS certified feedstock in the production of methanol derivative products.

　DME is produced by dehydrating methanol and has various uses including as an injection agent and foaming agent. When DME is used as a fuel, its physical properties are similar to those of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), so it is a promising environmentally friendly alternative to the fossil fuel, by using Bio-methanol as a feedstock.

Based on our mission of "Creating value to share with society," we will continue to realize the social implementation of Carbopath™, 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.

1) ISCC PLUS Certification, developed by ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), is an international certification that ensures and manages the sustainability of raw materials in the global supply chain.

2) The mass balance approach is a method of assigning a measure of sustainability to a product when it has been manufactured using both sustainable raw materials (e.g., biomass-derived raw materials) and non-sustainable raw materials (e.g., petroleum-derived raw materials). The measure is assigned according to the amount of sustainable raw material input.

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MGC’s Niigata Plant hereby pledges that it is compliant with the ISCC PLUS requirements in accordance with the latest ISCC regulations.

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