New Kobe research centre converts carbon dioxide for bio-manufacturing

Last month, JGC Holdings Corporation opened its first bio-manufacturing research building on Port Island in Kobe Prefecture. This facility uses gas fermentation technology to produce chemicals and materials from non-fossil resources.

The new building, known as JBX1, serves as the primary base for the Bio Process Research Institute. Researchers at the site use hydrogen-oxidising bacteria to convert carbon dioxide into various useful substances. The process relies on gas handling technologies developed by the JGC Group over several decades to manage flammable gases safely.

This project is a collaborative effort between JGC Holdings, Bacchus Bio Innovation Co., Ltd., Kaneka Corporation, and Shimadzu Corporation. It operates under the Green Innovation Fund managed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization with the goal to develop technology that synthesises polymers directly from carbon dioxide using microorganisms.

Bio-manufacturing offers a method to produce chemicals, materials, and food without depending on fossil resources. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates the global market for these products will reach 200 trillion yen by 2030. JGC Holdings views this sector as a core component of its long-term management plan to provide sustainable planetary infrastructure.

JGC Holdings has already begun planning a second research building, JBX2, on the same site. Construction for the second phase is expected to conclude by the end of 2027 as the company seeks to scale up its carbon recycling capabilities.