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Membrane CO2 Separation Systems Successfully Tested and Poised for Installation in a Chemical Maker Plant

Dec. 1, 2015

CO2 M·Tech Co., a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical, has obtained successful results from performance verification testing of the membrane CO2 separation systems which are currently under development by the Company for commercialization. The subsidiary thereupon has reached agreement with a certain chemical manufacturer in Japan to initiate jointly a full-scale study on the installation of the commercial membrane CO2 separation facilities in the manufacturer's plant by early 2017.

The membrane-based CO2 separation technology of Sumitomo Chemical offers the distinct advantage that a CO2 separation process can be more simplified than existing chemical absorption methods, thereby reducing energy consumption significantly and downsizing the separation facilities by half or less as compared with the chemical absorption methods. CO2 M·Tech Co. was established in 2013 as a joint venture between Sumitomo Chemical and other partners, and has worked ever since to develop and commercialize the membrane CO2 separation technology. Pilot facilities incorporating the technology were installed at Sumitomo Chemical's Ehime Works in May last year and at the domestic chemical manufacturer's plant in September this year, where performance verification testing was conducted under actual operating conditions to demonstrate the performance of the CO2 separation membrane in terms of CO2 permeability, durability, etc.

CO2 separation technology is mainly used in hydrogen production and natural gas refining to remove CO2 from gas streams. Demand for the use of CO2 separation technology is expected to expand in the future as the utilization of hydrogen energy will continue to be on the increase. In addition, in the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a promising technology capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such "membrane CO2 separation technologies" as those of Sumitomo Chemical are much awaited for their early commercialization owing to the benefit from reducing costs for CO2 separation and capture that account for over half the overall CCS costs.

Sumitomo Chemical positions the "Environment and Energy" arena as one of its core domains in its current initiatives to develop next-generation businesses. As far as the membrane CO2 separation technology is concerned, the latest undertaking reported above signifies an important step forward toward fostering the Company's membrane CO2 separation business. Sumitomo Chemical will continue to work on developing CO2 separation membranes suitable for a variety of applications, which, the Company hopes, will contribute to solving environmental problems or promoting more effective use of energies at large.

Profile of CO2 M·Tech

Company Name CO2 M·Tech Co., LTD
Head Office Tokyo
Capital 490 million yen
Capital structure Sumitomo Chemical 97%, Renaissance Energy Research 3%
President Kazuhiko Miyata
Establishment June 2013

  • Membrane CO2 Se aration Facilities (Installation at H dro en Production Plant)

    The membrane CO2 separation facilities, installed upstream of CO2 chemical absorption plant, removes approx. 50% of the CO2 contained in the source gas, reducing the steam cost incurred in the absorption plant

  • CO2 Separation Market (CY2030 Forecast)

  • Estimates by Sumitomo Chemical

Contact

Corporate Communications Office.
27-1, Shinkawa 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8260, Japan
TEL: +81-3-5543-5102 FAX: +81-3-5543-5901

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