Bioethanol is gaining attention as a clean fuel alternative to gasoline and as a raw material for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). However, in order to be used as fuel, the removal of moisture contained in bioethanol during the final stage of manufacturing (dehydration) is essential, and the dehydration process consumes a significant amount of energy. MMDS® aims to optimize the process by replacing the conventional method with a molecular sieve separation method(Note), thereby achieving high-efficiency manufacturing while significantly reducing energy consumption by over 30%, leading to a substantial reduction in operational costs and stable production. Additionally, since MMDS® enables separation in the liquid phase, it allows for the compact design of the equipment.
Moving forward, based on the results of various element tests conducted at the pilot plant, MHI plans to accelerate development toward the construction of a demonstration plant for an early launch.