Tosoh building CO2 recovery plant for PU feedstock production

Tokyo, Japan – Tosoh Corp. is building a facility to recover by-product carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it to raw materials within its operations at Nanyo complex, Shunan City, Japan.

The recovered CO2 will be converted into feedstock by the facility and used at the complex as a raw material for the manufacture of isocyanate products, said Tosoh in a recent announcement.

The isocyanates will be used for the production of Tosoh’s core products, including in particular for MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), a raw material for polyurethanes.

Tosoh said it started construction work on the facility in March and expects to start operation in the autumn of 2024.

Currently, Tosoh manufactures naphtha-derived carbon monoxide (CO) as a raw material for its isocyanate products.

The facility will recover approximately 40 kilotonnes per annum of CO2 from the combustion gas released during manufacture at the Nanyo complex.

It will then convert the recovered CO2 to produce CO as a raw material, Tosoh explained.

The Japanese group said it expected the switch from naphtha to CO2 to contribute to its “low-carbon manufacture” of isocyanate products.

Since last summer, Tosoh has been evaluating a proprietary and “highly durable” amine agent to recover CO2 at a test facility.

The group intends to apply the agent at its commercial-scale facilities to reduce CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, the Japanese chemicals supplier also plans to sell its CO2 recovery amine agent to other parties.