What is the 'Mizushima Cluster' project, and why is it considered a landmark initiative for industrial decarbonization in Japan?

The 'Mizushima Cluster' project is an advanced shipborne carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative launched by six major Japanese corporations—Sumitomo Corporation, Asahi Kasei, ENEOS, JFE Steel, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, and Mitsubishi Chemical—in collaboration with JOGMEC. It marks the official start of design work for a shared CCS infrastructure in the Mizushima Industrial Complex in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture—the largest industrial hub in Japan, hosting concentrated steel, chemical, automotive, and energy facilities. The project is designated as Japan’s largest-scale CCS hub, targeting annual maritime transport of approximately 3.43 million tons of liquefied CO₂. Its significance lies not only in its unprecedented scale but also in its pioneering model: leveraging geographic proximity among major emitters to co-develop liquefaction, temporary storage, and loading facilities—thereby avoiding redundant, cost-prohibitive individual investments. Crucially, it represents a decisive shift from theoretical feasibility studies to concrete engineering design, demonstrating that cross-sectoral industrial decarbonization can become economically viable through shared infrastructure—a model intended to serve as a global reference for industrial cluster transformation.

Why is CCS specifically prioritized for the Mizushima Industrial Complex, and what challenge does it address that alternatives like electrification or renewables cannot?

CCS is prioritized for the Mizushima Industrial Complex because the area hosts multiple large-scale emission sources—particularly in iron and steel production, petrochemical refining, and high-temperature industrial processes—that are inherently difficult or currently impossible to fully decarbonize using electrification or renewable energy alone. These processes involve unavoidable process emissions (e.g., from coke ovens or steam methane reforming) and require intense, continuous thermal energy that existing clean alternatives cannot yet deliver at required scale, reliability, or cost. As stated in the news, CCS is therefore 'viewed as a key solution to drive the green transformation of this industrial zone.' The Mizushima Cluster project directly addresses this technical and economic gap by establishing a shared, integrated CCS value chain—including liquefaction, short-term storage, and marine loading—designed to reduce per-ton abatement costs through infrastructure consolidation, thus enabling deep decarbonization where other pathways fall short.

Design Work Begins for Mizushima Cluster Shipborne CCS Project

Aug 31, 2026

Six Japanese industrial giants and JOGMEC launched design for the Mizushima Cluster CCS project, planning to ship 3.43 million tons of CO2 annually. This initiative represents a major cross-sector effort to reduce decarbonization costs in Japan's largest industrial hub.

ccin

2026-08-31

Design Work Begins for Mizushima Cluster Shipborne CCS Project

Design Work Begins for Mizushima Cluster Shipborne CCS Project

FAQ