Sep 3, 2025

Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation
Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
Daigas Energy Co., Ltd.
Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation (head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Kazuto Hirano; hereinafter "MUCC"), Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (head office: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President: Masataka Fujiwara; hereinafter "Osaka Gas"), Daigas Energy Co., Ltd. (head office: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President: Hiroyoshi Fukutani; hereinafter "Daigas Energy"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Osaka Gas, and Saibu Gas Co., Ltd. (head office: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Takuji Kato; hereinafter "Saibu Gas") have successfully conducted a demonstration test (hereinafter "this test") of co-firing natural gas as a thermal energy source in a cement kiln at MUCC's Kyushu Plant, Kurosaki District (hereinafter “this facility”) during commercial operation.

An effective way to reduce carbon emissions in the cement manufacturing process is to reduce the amount of CO₂ emitted from heatenergy sourcessuch as coal used in cement kilns. In this test, by using a newly developed natural gas co-firing burner, 40% of the coal was replaced with natural gas, and commercial-scale operation was carried out. This test confirmed that there are no problems with operational stability or product quality, and that there are no environmental hazards. This is the first initiative in Japan1 to use natural gas in a cement kiln in commercial operation and marks an important step towards creating a low-carbon society.

The burner was developed jointly by three companies, leveraging MUCC's pulverized coal combustion technology and Osaka Gas and Daigas Energy's gas combustion and combustion simulation technologies. Saibu Gas supplied natural gas via LNG tank trucks, ensuring the smooth implementation of this test. Going forward, the companies will continue to study the full-scale implementation of natural gas co-firing at this facility.

MUCC`s medium-term management strategy, "Infinity with Will 2025—MUCC Sustainable Plan 1st STEP", aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 40% compared to 2013 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality across the entire group by 2050. The results of this test have shown an increased possibility that e-methane2 can also be used in cement kilns. MUCC will first consider an early transition to natural gas,a low-carbon energy source,in order to reduce CO₂ emissions during cement production. Furthermore, efforts will be made to switch from natural gas to e-methane and strive to become a leader in carbon neutral industry.

In February 2025 the Daigas Group announced “Daigas Group Energy Transition 2050”, declaring that it would promote significantly to cut down carbon emissions through heat energy replacement from coal and oil to natural gas and aims to achieve decarbonization through a seamless transition from natural gas to e-methane. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the Daigas Group is committed to developing technologies and services that contribute to a carbon-free society and solving social issues, including climate change, and aims to become a corporate group that powers continuous advancement in customers' lives and businesses.

Under its medium-term management plan “ACT2027”, the Saibu Gas Group announced that it will accelerate the growth of its energy business by expanding the capacity of the Hibiki LNG Terminal and capturing demand in the energy transition. With a view to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the Saibu Gas Group will continue to reduce carbon emissions by shifting to natural gas, and then promote the decarbonization of gas by means, for example, of the introduction of e-methane, thereby helping to achieve further low carbon emissions and decarbonization in the Kyushu region and striving to contribute to the sustainable development of local communities.

The four companies will advance efforts towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in the manufacturing of cement, a fundamental material for developing social infrastructure.

1: As of August 2025. Survey by MUCC
2: Synthetic methane synthesized from CO₂ and renewable energy-based hydrogen. Burning e-methane does not actually cause the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere to increase; therefore, it is attracting attention as an energy source that can contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.

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