Morisora Biorefinery LLC
Morisora Biorefinery LLC
Morisora Biorefinery LLC
Morisora Biorefinery LLC
Morisora Biorefinery LLC
About the Morisora Project
The Morisora Project is a challenge aimed at ensuring a stable supply of sustainable fuel for the future by effectively utilizing forest resources, which cover two-thirds of Japan's land area.
Japan's forests are currently facing a silent crisis known as "aging."
The number of old trees that are past their harvesting age is increasing, not only weakening the mountain's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, but also undermining the health of the mountain itself.
We made the choice to "cut trees properly and use them correctly in order to grow the forest."
Cutting down trees is not necessarily a bad thing.
It's a vital process that keeps forests healthy and breathes new life into them.
Using the latest technology, we will produce "pure domestic bioethanol" from properly harvested wood, thereby decarbonizing the sky.
After trees are cut down, "elite trees" that grow quickly and absorb large amounts of CO2 are planted in the mountains to promote the rejuvenation of the forest.
Connecting thoughts from the forest to the sky.
We will recycle resources, realize a carbon-neutral society, and simultaneously create a vibrant future for our region.
Background of the Morisora Project
Background of the Morisora Project
Until now, Japan's forests have maintained a cycle of logging and reforestation by being used primarily as a raw material for paper. However, as demand for paper declines due to digitalization, this cycle is coming to a halt. Today's forests, which have lost their care and are increasingly populated with aging trees, are losing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and are at a higher risk of landslides. We are creating new uses for wood and starting a cycle that will rejuvenate the forests once again.
Currently, the global aviation industry has a common goal of achieving decarbonization by 2050. The key to achieving this is sustainable aviation fuel "SAF," an alternative to conventional petroleum-derived fuels. As sustainable change in the skies is required, we are producing next-generation fuel that minimizes environmental impact from Japan's abundant resource, wood.
In Japan, which relies heavily on imports for its energy needs,
Utilizing unused domestic resources is directly linked to "resource security" that protects the country's future. Using wood grown in Japan's forests, producing fuel using Japanese technology, and using it in Japan's skies. Establishing this "local production for local consumption" energy cycle will not only help protect the environment, but also contribute to revitalizing the local economy.
The Morisora Project has three features that address these issues.
To make the world's skies sustainable
We promote "wood cascade utilization," which utilizes sawmill residues generated when manufacturing building materials from coniferous logs as chips for pulp and paper. By using resources down to the last drop, we can achieve both effective utilization of forest resources and a reduction in environmental impact.
Ethanol derived from domestic wood has the advantage of being able to significantly reduce total CO2 emissions because it requires shorter transportation distances than imported ethanol made from edible raw materials, and because black liquor can be used in the manufacturing process.
To make the world's skies sustainable
After utilizing the timber, we encourage the replacement of the trees with "elite trees," which grow 1.5 times faster than conventional species and absorb more CO2. This will improve the efficiency of forestry management and support the circulation of the local economy and sustainable decarbonization from the local perspective.
The Morisora Project has three features that address these issues.
木材を余さず、カスケード利用
主に針葉樹の丸太から建築 材などを製造する過程で生まれる端材や製材残材を活用する「木材のカスケード利用」の一部を担います。資源を最後まで使い切ることで、森林資源の有効活用と環境負荷の低減を両立します。
地産地消による地域活性化
ただ木材を活用するだけでなく、活用後も従来種より成長が早く、CO2固定量が1.5倍以上、花粉量が1/2以下の「エリートツリー」との連携を進めてまいります。これにより林業経営の効率化を進め、資源と価値の循環を生み出すことで、地域活性化と持続可能な脱炭素化を地域から支えていきます。
紙パルプ産業の力 × バイオものづくり技術の融合
製紙産業が培ってきた木材調達・集荷、パルプ化、製造・品質管理といった大規模生産の力に、バイオベンチャーのバイオものづくり技術を掛け合わせ、バイオリファイナリーの実装を加速させます。製造工程で生じる黒液の活用なども含め、木質資源を多面的に活用しながら、LCAの観点も踏まえたバイオものづくりにつなげていきます。
How domestic bioethanol is made from domestic wood
The "pure domestic bioethanol" produced by the Morisora Project will not only be used as a next-generation clean mobile fuel, but also as a chemical material used to make plastics and synthetic fibers, and even as a gasoline blend fuel. As a next-generation raw material that can replace fossil fuels in all aspects of modern society, it has the potential to become the foundation for supporting the decarbonization of Japan's entire industry.
Project Schedule
This project is following a roadmap toward steady social implementation, starting with the scheduled completion of a demonstration plant in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture in fiscal 2026, followed by semi-commercial-scale production from fiscal 2027, and then aiming to operate a commercial plant that will provide a stable supply of tens of thousands of kiloliters by fiscal 2030.