Cosmo Oil and three Japanese partners are set to place naphtha produced as a by-product of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) manufactures to work as a lower-carbon feedstock for chemicals and plastics, starting a new pathway for used cooking oil to replace fossil resources beyond aviation.
Cosmo Oil Co., Maruzen Petrochemical Co., UBE-Maruzen Polyethylene and Saffaire Sky Energy will start leveraging used cooking oil-derived naphtha produced at Cosmo Oil’s Sakai Refinery in Osaka.
The initiative links SAF manufacturing with the chemicals and plastics supply chain, permitting a co-product of aviation fuel manufacturing to be used in the production of basic chemicals and polyethylene products.
Saffaire Sky Energy will produce the naphtha, Cosmo Oil will supply it under a mass-balance system, Maruzen Petrochemical will use it to produce basic chemicals, and UBE-Maruzen Polyethylene will turn those materials into polyethylene and plastic products.
The naphtha is produced at the SAF facility operated by Saffaire Sky Energy on the premises of Cosmo Oil’s Sakai Refinery. Completed in December 2024, the facility is Japan’s first large-scale SAF manufacturing plant of its kind and start manufacturing in fiscal 2025.
The used cooking oil-derived naphtha has also received certification under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system.
The companies say the move is targeted at cutting carbon emissions related to chemical raw materials, where naphtha is a critical feedstock for a wide range of products.
Unlike conventional fossil-derived naphtha, bio-based naphtha made from used cooking oil can offer a lower-carbon option even as permitting existing production processes to be used.
The companies will apply the ISCC PLUS mass-balance approach, which permits the sustainability attributes of biomass-based or recycled feedstocks to be allocated to products in proportion to their use in the manufacturing process.
The initiative builds on a Japanese government-backed effort released in 2021 to establish a domestic supply chain for SAF made from used cooking oil.
Saffaire Sky Energy said the project forms value beyond aviation by putting the SAF manufacturing by-product to use as a chemical feedstock.
“Since 2021, with the support of the Japanese government, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, and NEDO, Saffaire Sky Energy has been working with JGC Holding, Cosmo Oil, and REVO International to commercialize domestic SAF.
“Through this initiative, in addition to manufacture SAF, we have created new value by utilizing used cooking oil-derived naphtha, a co-product of SAF manufacturing, as a chemical feedstock. We find it tremendously considerable that the outcomes of our efforts to promote resource recycling by repurposing domestic used cooking oil as a feedstock can contribute to decarbonization not only in the aviation sector however also in the chemical industry. Going ahead, we stay committed to expanding the circular use of sustainable resources and effectively using domestic biomass resources.”
The 4 companies plan to increase supply volumes and develop additional applications for the material, focused on industries along with chemicals, textiles and packaging.
Cosmo Oil said the ISCC PLUS certification will assist guidance traceability and management of sustainable raw materials.
“This initiative, backed by using ISCC PLUS certification, supports ensure traceability of sustainable raw materials while allowing their appropriate management under the mass balance approach. Going forward, we will persist to work to expand our use of sustainable raw materials.”
Maruzen Petrochemical stated it plans to extend sales of sustainable products made using used cooking oil-derived naphtha.
“At Maruzen Petrochemical, we target to expand sales of sustainable products by applying the ISCC PLUS mass balance approach to derivatives and product groups produced utilising used cooking oil-derived naphtha as a feedstock and marketing them as ISCC PLUS-certified products.”
UBE-Maruzen said it’ll focus on creating products based on lower-impact raw materials.
“Ube-Maruzen is dedicated to developing products utilizing environmentally friendly raw materials and contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.”
The companies said the initiative ought to assist amplify the use of domestic biomass resources across numerous industries while building a more circular supply chain around used cooking oil.
