Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Idemitsu Kosan) announced the joint start of a demonstration test on the recycling of used plastic waste generated aboard a very large crude carrier, according to MOL's release.
The demonstration test will be conducted on the VLCC Suzukasan chartered by the Idemitsu Tanker Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan, from MOL.
Idemitsu Kosan subsidiary Chemical Recycle Japan Co., Ltd. will use the VLCC waste plastic as raw material, produce generated oil by its technology of recycling of used plastics into oil. Idemitsu Kosan will verify the feasibility of recycling used plastics generated on MOL-operated vessels, including VLCCs, by confirming whether the generated oil produced by this process can be used as a raw material for petrochemical products and fuel oil.
In the future, the companies aim to produce "Renewable Chemicals" and "Renewable Fuel Oil" with its oil refining and petrochemical equipment, using generated oil derived from used plastic generated on VLCC.