Sumitomo Chemical to Construct a High-Efficiency Gas Turbine Power Generator at Chiba Works - Will reduce annual CO2 emissions by more than 240,000 tons -

Oct. 5, 2020

Sumitomo Chemical has decided to close down a petroleum coke power station, and construct a high-efficiency gas turbine power generator at its Chiba Works (Ichihara City, Chiba, Japan) as part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The facility is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2023.

Sumitomo Chemical will terminate the use of petroleum coke in thermal power plants at Chiba Works and introduce a gas turbine power generator that uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) with a low CO₂ emission factor. With this plan, the Company aims to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by more than 240,000 tons, which is equivalent to about 20% of CO₂ emitted from Chiba Works. Sumitomo Chemical Group will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supplying electricity to Koei Chemical Co., Ltd., an adjacent group company, from this new facility. As a collaborative project with Koei Chemical, the construction of a new facility is subsidized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) through its 2020 program, which promotes investment in energy conservation (supporting business operators in rationalization of energy use).

The Paris Agreement, adopted as an international framework in 2015, sets out a 2℃ target and a 1.5℃ target: to keep the increase in the global average temperature to less than 2℃ above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is an urgent issue. Toward this end, Sumitomo Chemical decided in February 2018 to participate in the construction of a LNG plant jointly funded by five companies in its Ehime Works (Niihama City, Ehime, Japan). Sumitomo Joint Electric Power Co., Inc., a group company, plans to use LNG supplied by this plant at its thermal power plant (scheduled to start operations in July 2022), and this will help us reduce CO₂ emissions at Ehime Works. Sumitomo Chemical has been active in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, it obtained the approval from the Science Based Targets initiative in October 2018 for the first time in the world as a diversified chemical company.

Embracing the management principles of "contributing to society through business activities," the Sumitomo Chemical Group will work together as one and continue to actively address climate change and other societal challenges.

Overview of the Gas Turbine Power Generator

Output (planned)	Generation of 45,000kW or more, Vapor of 80 tons / hour or more
Location	2-1, Kitasode, Sodegaura City, Chiba (on the premises of Chiba Works)

Contact

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