Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. has made an investment in MORISORA Bio Refinery LLC to support the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from domestically sourced woody biomass bioethanol.
MORISORA Bio Refinery is a joint venture, launched in July 2025, involving Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Corporation, and Green Earth Institute Inc. The venture is part of “Project MORISORA,” which aims to commercialize bioethanol and biochemical products derived from woody biomass. A demonstration plant will be built at Nippon Paper’s Iwanuma mill in Miyagi Prefecture, utilizing sustainable forest resources, including wood processing residues from the Tohoku region. The plant will leverage GEI’s low-carbon, cost-effective bioethanol production technology and aims to produce over 1,000 kiloliters of bioethanol annually starting in 2027.
JAL has been advocating for the use of biofuels for more than 10 years and joined Project MORISORA in March 2025. This investment marks JAL’s commitment as an airline and SAF user to promote a “purely domestic SAF” industry based on wood sourced within Japan.
On October 3, 2025, a groundbreaking ceremony, known as “Jichin-sai,” took place at the site of the demonstration plant within Nippon Paper’s Iwanuma mill. The plant is expected to be completed by fiscal year 2026, with plans to operate a commercial facility producing tens of thousands of kiloliters of bioethanol and biochemical products annually by 2030.
Through Project MORISORA, JAL and MORISORA Bio Refinery will continue efforts to scale up the production of domestic SAF from Japanese wood, contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society, regional revitalization, and a more sustainable future.
