A World Where Plastics Can Be Made Without Petroleum
iPEACE223 shared their 'April Dream' to produce plastics from bioethanol instead of petroleum, aiming to drastically reduce CO2 emissions and create a fossil-free society.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 23:05 (486h 17m after Collected)
Our company supports April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day to broadcast dreams. This press release represents the dream of "iPEACE223."
## Plastics from Sugarcane, Not Petroleum.
iPEACE223's vision for a "Society Not Dependent on Fossil Resources"
The dream of iPEACE223 Inc. (Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) is to green the raw materials of fuels and chemicals, liberating the world from its dependence on fossil resources. In particular, we aim to establish technology that produces plastics—essential to our daily lives—not from petroleum, but from bioethanol derived from sugarcane and other sources.
## Background of the Dream: "Ordinary Plastics" as a Symbol of Petroleum
The general-purpose plastics around us, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, are made from ethylene and propylene, which are generated by cracking naphtha derived from crude oil in large crackers.
However, the reality is that a massive amount of CO₂ is emitted across the entire supply chain, from:
- Raw material procurement
- Chemical manufacturing
- Product usage
- Incineration
To achieve carbon neutrality, this very raw material structure must be changed.
## iPEACE223's Challenge: Creating "Mainstay Chemicals" from Bioethanol
iPEACE223 is a startup founded in 2023.
We are working on developing a manufacturing process for bio-ethylene and bio-propylene using bioethanol as a raw material.
The biochemicals produced by this technology represent a "raw material transition" that is arguably the most promising candidate for realizing carbon neutrality, featuring:
- Over 80% CO₂ reduction compared to petroleum-derived alternatives
- The innovativeness to replace existing naphtha crackers
More than 100 million tons of bioethanol are produced globally each year, with about 90% consumed as a gasoline additive. Compared to naphtha-derived ethylene and propylene, propylene made from bioethanol is currently expected to be produced at a slightly higher cost. However, if this manufacturing cost drops to the same level or lower than fossil-resource-derived ones, the movement to replace fossil resources with bio-raw materials will rapidly accelerate due to the massive CO₂ reduction effect. We will first advance commercialization utilizing imported ethanol, while aiming to establish manufacturing technology that can compete with petroleum-derived chemicals in terms of cost in the future, accelerating its widespread adoption.
## Generating Cheap Raw Materials from Japanese Land: The New Industry of "Energy Grains"
Currently, the main raw materials for bioethanol are food crops like corn and sugarcane. However, factors such as:
- Competition with food
- Limitations in growth speed
are preventing price reductions.
Therefore, iP
## Plastics from Sugarcane, Not Petroleum.
iPEACE223's vision for a "Society Not Dependent on Fossil Resources"
The dream of iPEACE223 Inc. (Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) is to green the raw materials of fuels and chemicals, liberating the world from its dependence on fossil resources. In particular, we aim to establish technology that produces plastics—essential to our daily lives—not from petroleum, but from bioethanol derived from sugarcane and other sources.
## Background of the Dream: "Ordinary Plastics" as a Symbol of Petroleum
The general-purpose plastics around us, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, are made from ethylene and propylene, which are generated by cracking naphtha derived from crude oil in large crackers.
However, the reality is that a massive amount of CO₂ is emitted across the entire supply chain, from:
- Raw material procurement
- Chemical manufacturing
- Product usage
- Incineration
To achieve carbon neutrality, this very raw material structure must be changed.
## iPEACE223's Challenge: Creating "Mainstay Chemicals" from Bioethanol
iPEACE223 is a startup founded in 2023.
We are working on developing a manufacturing process for bio-ethylene and bio-propylene using bioethanol as a raw material.
The biochemicals produced by this technology represent a "raw material transition" that is arguably the most promising candidate for realizing carbon neutrality, featuring:
- Over 80% CO₂ reduction compared to petroleum-derived alternatives
- The innovativeness to replace existing naphtha crackers
More than 100 million tons of bioethanol are produced globally each year, with about 90% consumed as a gasoline additive. Compared to naphtha-derived ethylene and propylene, propylene made from bioethanol is currently expected to be produced at a slightly higher cost. However, if this manufacturing cost drops to the same level or lower than fossil-resource-derived ones, the movement to replace fossil resources with bio-raw materials will rapidly accelerate due to the massive CO₂ reduction effect. We will first advance commercialization utilizing imported ethanol, while aiming to establish manufacturing technology that can compete with petroleum-derived chemicals in terms of cost in the future, accelerating its widespread adoption.
## Generating Cheap Raw Materials from Japanese Land: The New Industry of "Energy Grains"
Currently, the main raw materials for bioethanol are food crops like corn and sugarcane. However, factors such as:
- Competition with food
- Limitations in growth speed
are preventing price reductions.
Therefore, iP