Tokyo, May 18, 2026 – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (MHIEC), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received a Technical Verification Report from the Japan Environmental Sanitation Center (JESC) for its “Fluidized Bed-type Gasification and Reforming System” as part of JESC’s Waste Treatment Technology Verification Project.
MHIEC submitted this technology for the project in 2025. Following technical reviews by the Technical Verification Committee a total of four times, the verification results indicate that the system is at a level for practical application in terms of technology.
The technology submitted for verification is a waste treatment system that crushes and dries municipal solid waste, and using a fluidized bed-type gasification reformer(Note), converts it into syngas containing carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) for use as the raw material for ethanol production. The primary feature of the system is the ability to provide a stable supply of syngas with low dust and tar that is suitable for making ethanol.
JESC’s Waste Treatment Technology Verification Project was established to review the waste treatment technologies developed by private companies to verify their technical aspects, compliance with relevant regulations and performance guidelines, and test operation results. By publishing the results openly as reliable and accurate technical information, the project aims to promote the development and widespread adoption of waste treatment technologies.
MHIEC took over the waste treatment plant business in 2008, acquiring MHI’s technological development capabilities in environmental systems and broad-ranging expertise in the construction and operation of waste management facilities both in Japan and overseas. This extensive experience allows MHIEC to provide comprehensive solutions, from plant construction to operations. Going forward, MHIEC will make proactive proposals for extending the service life of existing waste treatment facilities, countering global warming, and reducing lifecycle costs (LCC) such as maintenance and management expenses.
Presentation Ceremony
Fluidized Bed-type Gasification and Reforming System Flow Diagram
- A fluidized bed-type gasification reformer includes as its core system, a fluidized bed gasifier, a vertical swirling melting furnace, and a reformer. In the gasifier, steam and oxygen are used for fluidizing the sand maintained at a relatively low temperature to achieve stable gasification, while non-combustible materials are extracted from the bottom of the furnace along with the sand. The generated pyrolysis gas and carbonized unburned material are partially burned and gasified in the melting furnace during the end process, and the ash converted into molten slag. The gas generated from the melting furnace is kept at a relatively high temperature in the reformer, with the tar and other components broken into lighter molecules to make syngas. MHIEC’s fluidized bed gasification melting furnace, which is the foundation of this core system, is currently in operation at four facilities in Japan, and has a 20-year track record of stable operation.
