Toray Industries, Inc. has announced its plans to install a pilot facility for its innovative all-carbon carbon dioxide (CO2) separation membrane at its Shiga Plant, with operations set to commence in the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2025. The facility will play a pivotal role in establishing mass production technology for the membranes. Toray intends to collaborate with biogas and natural gas developers, engineering manufacturers, and other industry partners to validate the results, aiming for practical application in the subsequent fiscal year. This initiative highlights the growing importance of advanced CO2 separation and recovery technologies in addressing global energy and environmental challenges.

The use of natural gas as a stable energy source continues to expand due to its relatively low CO2 emissions when burned. However, increased demand for more efficient CO2 separation technologies has emerged, driven by the need to develop gas fields with higher residual CO2 concentrations. Additionally, the efficient separation of CO2 from biogas—a mixture of methane and CO2 derived from biomass—and from waste gases containing nitrogen and CO2 is critical for advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) applications.

Toray’s proprietary all-carbon CO2 separation membrane has demonstrated exceptional performance and durability in gas environments containing impurities. By refining its hollow fiber spinning and thin-layer coating technologies, Toray has developed a film production process capable of delivering consistently stable membranes. The company has also devised core manufacturing technologies for producing membrane elements that bundle these membranes together. Using small-scale membrane elements, Toray successfully demonstrated CO2 separation from biogas and exhaust gas at its Tokai Plant. The trials maintained consistent CO2 separation performance over a week, showcasing the technology’s ability to separate methane and nitrogen from CO2. Notably, the biogas tested at the Tokai Plant contained over 1,000 parts per million of aromatic hydrocarbons alongside CO2, closely resembling the composition of natural gas. This achievement underscores the membrane’s versatility for a wide range of applications.

The technology promises broad applicability in biogas processing, natural gas production, and enhancing CO2 separation efficiency for CCS and CCU. The new pilot facility at Shiga Plant will allow Toray to scale up prototypes, perform extensive demonstration tests, and accelerate efforts toward practical deployment. The company’s collaborations with biogas and natural gas producers, along with other partners, will further enhance its capabilities to address real-world challenges.

Aligned with its corporate philosophy of contributing to society through innovative ideas, technologies, and products, Toray is committed to resolving pressing environmental, resource, and energy issues. By advancing this CO2 separation technology, Toray continues to drive progress toward carbon neutrality and sustainable development.