MOL, Idemitsu set to conduct recycling marine plastic demonstration test

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Idemitsu) have announced the joint start of a demonstration test on the recycling of marine plastic waste.

Nihon Tug-Boat Co., Ltd., a MOL Group firm, has built an automated marine waste collecting equipment dubbed ‘Seabin’ at the Hiroshima Municipal Pier, which serves as a tugboat base, with the goal of boosting maritime environment protection.

In the demonstration test, Idemitsu Kosan subsidiary Chemical Recycle Japan Co., Ltd. produced generated oil by recycling old plastics into oil utilising the marine plastic debris collected by Seabin as raw material.

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Idemitsu Kosan will validate the availability of produced oil as a raw material for petrochemical goods and fuel oils through a number of these activities, as well as the possibility of recovering marine plastic debris.

Both firms will use the demonstration test to work towards a carbon-neutral and recycling-oriented society, as well as marine environmental conservation.

This month, MOL and Shell Marine Products Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the growth of alternative marine solutions and the holistic management of carbon emissions responsibilities.

MOL also recently reached an agreement with Petronas CCS Ventures Sdn Bhd and MISC Berhad (MISC) to explore a joint venture for investing in liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carriers for CCS projects.