Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Japanese paper manufacturer Hokuetsu Corporation have launched a test for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture at the Niigata Mill, marking the first application of MHI’s CO2MPACT™ Mobile technology in the pulp and paper sector.
The trial targets emissions from chemical recovery boilers, which use “black liquor,” a by-product of pulp production, as their primary fuel.
The test aims to evaluate the commercial potential of MHI’s compact CO2 capture system in capturing emissions from these boilers, which provide the steam and electricity essential for paper manufacturing.
According to MHI, the initiative will accelerate decarbonisation in an industry increasingly under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.
“This is the first case in which MHI’s CO2 capture technology is being applied to the pulp and paper industry,” stated the company. “This demonstration test will allow MHI to analyse and evaluate data for commercial application and accelerate decarbonisation in this industry.”
The use of chemical recovery boilers highlights the unique environmental challenges and opportunities within the paper production process.
Black liquor, a by-product of dissolving wood chips in a sodium-based solvent (white liquor), is burned to recover the solvent for reuse while generating energy. Capturing CO2 from this process could provide the industry with a much-needed pathway to sustainable operations.
©Hokuetsu
©MHI
Japan’s pulp and paper industry is among the sectors actively pursuing decarbonisation solutions. Figures from the International Energy Agency reveal that the global pulp and paper industry is responsible for around 2% of global CO2 emissions.
In Japan, the industry is among the fourth most CO2-intensive, producing around 21 million tonnes according to FY2019 figures from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The test is also part of MHI’s broader effort to establish a global carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) value chain.
“MHI Group has formally declared its intent to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040,” the company added. “Going forward, MHI Group will continue to proactively promote its CCUS business worldwide, applying its proprietary CO2 capture technologies and contributing as a solutions provider to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale.”
MHI is actively pursuing decarbonisation across multiple sectors as part of its carbon neutrality goal by 2040. Earlier this year, in September 2024, MHI partnered with a major European energy provider to install its KM CDR Process™ technology at a natural gas power plant in Norway, targeting 500,000 tonnes of CO2 capture annually.
The company is also advancing ammonia co-firing technology at coal power plants, with successful trials reported in August 2024 at a facility in Japan. Additionally, MHI is collaborating on green hydrogen projects, including a large-scale electrolyser plant in Australia announced in October 2024, to support renewable energy transitions globally.
