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Three collaborate on carbon neutrality at Japan site

Sumitomo Chemical, Maruzen Petrochemical and Mitsui Chemicals have agreed to study the feasibility of collaborative projects to achieve carbon neutrality at the Keiyo Coastal Industrial Complex in Chiba. This is part of climate change targets all three have developed individually.

The initiative will mainly comprise measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as diversifying feedstocks, using biomass, new chemical recycling and material recycling technologies, converting to new kinds of fuels and the renewal of associated infrastructure.

Sumitomo to buy biostimulant firm

Subject to usual closing conditions, Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical is to acquire FBSciences, a US-based firm which makes naturally-derived biostimulants and biopesticides via proprietary methods. No financial terms or timelines have been disclosed.

Sumitomo values the biorationals market, the class of products in which biostimulants form the largest part at about $10 billion. This is about 10% of the size of the conventional agrochemicals market, but it has been enjoying far stronger growth.

Kao, Firmenich lead in carbon disclosure

Non-profit organisation CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) has issued its rankings for 2022. These rate about 15,000 companies in multiple industries from about 18,700 who submitted data about their emissions on a scale from A to D- in three categories. In all, 283 received an A for Climate Change, 25 for Forests and 103 for Water Security.

Sumitomo plans two exits

Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has decided to sell its 15.9% stake in Australian agrochemical company Nufarm. It has separately announced its decision to close down its dyestuff facilities at its Osaka Works and exit the dyestuffs business by the end of March 2023.

The company originally took a 20% stake in Nufarm in 2010 and also acquired four subsidiaries of Nufarm in South America in 2020. The two also formed a comprehensive business alliance, which will continue after the dissolution of the capital relationship.

Sumitomo Chemical to build API plant

Sumitomo Chemical has announced plans to build a new plant for APIs and intermediates to come onstream in September 2024 at its Oita works on the southern tip of Honshu. This comes in response to growing demand from the small molecule sector. No financial details were given.

Oita, the company said, “can manufacture a wide variety of APIs and intermediates that require complex chemical reactions and also flexibly scale from development to commercialisation”. It is also compliant with EU, US and Japanese GMP standards.

Sumitomo Chemical reorganises labs

Sumitomo Chemical is to start a full-scale study on reorganising three of its research laboratories in Japan. The company described this as “part of its efforts to accelerate the creation of next-generation businesses”.

The plan includes building a new facility at Osaka as a base for incubation and open innovation by Q3 2024. This has research capabilities in safety assessment, industrial technologies and business sector-led projects in ICT and life sciences.

Photoresist expansion in Japan

Sumitomo Chemical is to install new lines to expand production capacity for photoresists for advanced semiconductor photolithography processes, including argon fluoride (ArF) immersion and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, at its Osaka Works. These are due to commence operation in 1H fiscal 2022.

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