ZEON CORPORATION has completed a demonstration bench-scale facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to produce ethanol-derived butadiene at high efficiency. Full-scale operations are targeted to begin in January 2027, with commercialization targeted for 2034.
ZEON CORPORATION has completed a demonstration bench-scale facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, designed to produce butadiene at high efficiency from ethanol, including ethanol derived from plant-based feedstocks. The facility will demonstrate technology for the stable production of ethanol-derived butadiene, and full-scale operations are scheduled to begin in January 2027.
The company will produce prototype polybutadiene rubber using the butadiene, while The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. will produce prototype tires incorporating the rubber and conduct driving tests to collect data for large-scale demonstration. This is expected to advance the demonstration process toward future commercialization.
The company is proceeding with a plan to establish the technology using a pilot facility equipped with a continuous demonstration unit by 2030, with eventual commercialization as the goal. Full-scale operations are expected to begin in January 2027, and commercialization is targeted for 2034.