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Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel Corporation

ITOCHU, HIF, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel, and MOL Sign MoU on Establishing Supply Chain for Synthetic Fuel and CO2 Marine Transport Using Green Hydrogen

ITOCHU Corporation (ITOCHU; President & COO: Keta Ishii; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), HIF Asia Pacific Pty Ltd , a wholly owned subsidiary of HIF Global (HIF; President & CEO: Cesar Norton; Head Office: Houston, Texas), Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel Corporation (Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel; President & CEO: Yoshihisa Kitano; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto, Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo) today announced an agreement to jointly conduct a wide-ranging feasibility study covering on (1) carbon dioxide (CO2) capture in Japan, (2) shipping the CO2 to Australia, (3) production and storage of synthetic fuel (e-fuel) derived from the CO2 in Australia, and (4) establishment of a comprehensive supply chain, including export of e-fuel from Australia.

 

Conceptual diagram of e-fuel production and supply chain

Conceptual diagram of e-fuel production and supply chain
 

£¼Role of each company£¾

Company Name Business Role
ITOCHU Trading Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)*1, economic evaluation, etc.
HIF e-fuel business Selection of e-fuel production area, e-fuel production cost estimation, etc.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel Iron manufacturing CO2 separation/capture, liquefaction, and offloading cost estimation, etc.
MOL Ocean shipping CO2 and e-fuel transport cost estimation, study of marine transport, etc.
 

The term "e-fuel" refers to liquid fuel produced by synthesizing hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources and CO2. The CO2 feedstock will be CO2 emitted from industries that will have difficulty achieving decarbonization through electrification, hydrogenation, and other means alone. A benefit of e-fuel is that it can use current infrastructure such as vessels, lorries, storage tanks, and fueling stations for transport and storage. In addition, e-fuel itself can be used to power automobiles, aircraft, and vessels without the need to modify or replace current equipment, so its use is expected to be an early decarbonization measure.

Leveraging their networks in Japan and overseas and the knowledge they have cultivated through business in Australia, ITOCHU, HIF, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel, and MOL aim to establish an e-fuel supply chain, starting with a study of its use at Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel, with an eye toward a decarbonized society.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel is making concerted efforts to address climate-change issues in accordance with the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Group Environmental Vision for 2050. In addition to reducing its own direct CO2 emissions, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel is working to lower CO2 emissions throughout its supply chain to contribute to a more sustainable world.

*1 Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method for quantitatively evaluating the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle (resource extraction, raw material production, product manufacturing, distribution/consumption, and disposal/recycling).

 

£¼Company Profile£¾

Name ITOCHU Corporation
Head Office Address Minato-ku, Tokyo
Year Established 1949
Representative Keta Ishii, COO
Business Outline ITOCHU is a trading company and is engaged in a wide range of businesses, including imports, exports, and business investments in Japan and overseas in several fields, including metals, energy, machinery, textiles and food. One of the basic policies of ITOCHU’s medium-term management plan is to "contribute to and strengthen initiatives for the SDGs," and through this initiative, ITOCHU aims to build a supply chain with an eye toward a decarbonized society.
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Name HIF Global
Head Office Address Houston, Texas
Year Established 2022
Representative Cesar Norton, President & CEO
Business Outline HIF Global is the world’s leading eFuels company, developing projects to convert hydrogen using low cost renewable power into carbon neutral liquid eFuels that can be transported and utilized in existing infrastructure. The name HIF represents the mission of the company: to provide Highly Innovative Fuels to make decarbonization of the planet possible. HIF Latam, HIF USA, HIF Asia Pacific, and HIF EMEA are wholly owned subsidiaries of HIF Global. HIF Global is already producing eFuels in its Haru Oni Facility in Magallanes, Chile and intends to begin construction of the commercial scale HIF Matagorda eFuels Facility in Texas in 2024. HIF Global’s first Australian development, in Tasmania, was announced in July 2022.
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Name Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel Corporation
Head Office Address Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Year Established 2003
Representative Yoshihisa Kitano, President & CEO
Business Outline The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Group has formulated the "Â鶹ÊÓƵ Group Environmental Vision 2050" and has positioned addressing climate change issues as its most important management challenge, and is vigorously promoting efforts to solve this issue. Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel aims to achieve carbon neutrality by utilizing CCUS, including inter-company and industrial complex collaboration, in addition to working on the development of various ultra-innovative technologies such as carbon-recycling blast furnaces and direct reduction steelmaking etc. To establish a CCUS value chain, we will accelerate our efforts by expanding and strengthening inter-company collaboration both in Japan and overseas.
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Name Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Head Office Address Minato-ku, Tokyo
Year Established 1884
Representative Takeshi Hashimoto, President & CEO
Business Outline is to develop a variety of social infrastructure businesses in addition to traditional shipping businesses, and will meet the evolving social needs including environmental conservation, with innovative technology and services.
The CCS/CCUS business is an initiative that is consistent with the MOL Group Vision, as well as with the expansion of non-shipping businesses set forth in the management plan and one of the strategies in the namely, "Expand low-carbon/decarbonized business by leveraging the group’s collective strengths." From the blue oceans, the MOL Group will contribute to the sustainable development of society and the preservation of nature, sustain people's lives, and ensure a prosperous future, by expanding business upstream and downstream in the CCS/CCUS value chain, acquiring projects, and accelerating the development of the value chain.
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About Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel Corporation

Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel Corporation, one of the world’s leading integrated steel producers, was established through the consolidation of NKK Corporation and Kawasaki Steel Corporation in 2003. The company operates several steelworks in Japan and numerous branch offices and affiliates throughout the world. Â鶹ÊÓƵ Steel leverages world-class technologies and know-how to produce a wide range of products based on its “Only One, Number One” strategy of focusing on unique and best-in-class products. The company reported consolidated sales of 2,255 billion yen and consolidated crude steel output of 23.96 million tons in the fiscal year ended March 2021.

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