Mitsubishi, Eneos to conduct front-end engineering design for SAF production at Wakayama refinery

Photo: Eneos Corp.

Mitsubishi Corp. announced Feb. 21 that it and Eneos Corp. have agreed to jointly conduct a front-end engineering design (FEED) to advance the study of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility at the Eneos Wakayama plant in Arida City, Japan.

Eneos has been studying the feasibility of such a facility since 2022.

To advance this study to the next stage, Eneos and Mitsubishi, which have been jointly assessing the feasibility of SAF commercialization, will work together on the FEED.

Eneos has an established sales network, manufacturing and refining technologies and the expertise in feedstock procurement, while Mitsubishi has expertise in the procurement of feedstock in Japan and around the world.

By combining each company’s respective strengths, Eneos and Mitsubishi will accelerate the study with the aim of developing large-scale production of SAF in Japan.

Subject to the result of the FEED, the facility is expected to produce 300,000 metric tons (approximately 105 million gallons) of SAF per year from 2028 onwards, together with bionaphtha and renewable diesel fractions as byproducts.

Its feedstock will include used cooking oil, animal fat and other wastes and byproducts.

Mitsubishi said it and Eneos “place a high priority on addressing climate-change issues, and both companies are actively promoting initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions with the aim of helping to achieve a decarbonized, circular society.”

According to Mitsubishi, the companies will move forward with their study on SAF as part of this effort.