Konoshima Chemical Launches Commercial Carbon Recycling Plant Using CO₂ From Its Own Factory Emissions

Konoshima Chemical Co., Ltd., a member company of the Carbon Recycling Fund (CRF), began operations at its new commercial-scale CO_₂ Recycle Production System at the Takuma Plant in Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, on May 18, 2026.

The system converts low-concentration CO_₂ contained in factory exhaust gas directly into raw materials for industrial and building products.

With an investment of approximately JPY 3 billion, the plant reacts CO₂ from factory emissions with alkaline resources to produce calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. These materials are then used in the company’s chemical products and as raw materials for building materials, supporting both CO_₂ emissions reduction and resource circulation.

The plant has an initial CO_₂ processing capacity of approximately 4,000 tonnes per year. Konoshima Chemical plans to expand this capacity in stages to 20,000 tonnes annually by adding reaction equipment and other facilities.

The company also plans to introduce the system at its Ishioka Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, as part of its ambition to achieve zero Scope 1 CO_₂ emissions from its own factories by 2030.

A key feature of the system is its ability to directly utilise factory exhaust gas containing approximately 10% CO_₂ without a separate concentration process. It also uses alkaline by-products from the company’s manufacturing operations, creating opportunities for resource efficiency across its production processes.

The technology also underpins ZESTA, a new building material incorporating recycled CO_₂, with its launch planned for October 2026.

CRF Chairman Mitsuoka and Executive Director Hashiguchi attended the opening ceremony as invited guests. Chairman Mitsuoka delivered congratulatory remarks and participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside other representatives.

CRF will continue to support its member companies in advancing the commercial deployment of carbon recycling technologies and contributing to a resource-circulating society.