The Nitto Group places ESG (Environment, Society, and Governance) at the core of management and has declared carbon neutrality^*3 in May 2022 to pass on our prosperous planet to the next generation, focusing on developing various negative emission technologies such as CO₂ capture and storage and working toward proposing a total solution to reduce CO₂ emissions.

The project aims to contribute to the decarbonization of the livestock industry by producing carbon-negative formic acid from biomass-derived feedstock through a conversion technology that efficiently produces formic acid from CO₂ and hydrogen. Specifically, Nitto has developed a highly active catalyst to achieve world-class formic acid production efficiency and has succeeded in significantly reducing production costs through a production method that facilitates the separation of the catalyst from the formic acid after the formic acid production. The formic acid will be used as an additive for silage in dairy farming areas, contributing to both solving a social issue and creating economic value through the effective use of CO₂.

In parallel with the technical demonstration, the two companies are working together with local governments and communities to promote the use and diffusion of formic acid and hydrogen energy,
which are environmentally friendly because derived from livestock manure, that takes full advantage of the characteristics of dairy farming regions, to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

For more information on the demonstration facility (Shikaoi Hydrogen Farm Co., Ltd.), please refer to the following link.
(Air Water Company’s release:https://www.awi.co.jp/ja/business/news/news-24657404183802163353.html)

*1 Formic acid is an organic acid product with the chemical formula (HCOOH). It is used as an additive in the production of grass silage, feed for dairy cattle, to prevent deterioration.
*2 Technology that removes CO₂ from the atmosphere by collecting, absorbing, and storing CO₂ in the atmosphere.
*3 SCOPE 1+2
*4 Shikaoi Hydrogen Farm (Kato-gun, Hokkaido), a group company of Air Water, that operates a facility that produces hydrogen from biomass derived from livestock manure, captures the CO₂ byproduct of hydrogen generation, supplies it to a formic acid production plant via conduit, and supplies hydrogen gas as a product.