Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. (JAL) has invested in MORISORA Bio Refinery LLC to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from domestically sourced woody biomass bioethanol, reports Biomass Magazine.
MORISORA Bio Refinery, a joint venture launched in July 2025 by Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Corp., and Green Earth Institute Inc., is part of “Project MORISORA,” aimed at commercializing bioethanol and biochemical products from woody biomass. A demonstration plant will be built at Nippon Paper’s Iwanuma mill in Miyagi Prefecture, using wood processing residues and other sustainable forest resources from the Tohoku region. The plant will employ GEI’s low-carbon, cost-efficient bioethanol technology and is expected to produce over 1,000 kiloliters annually starting in 2027.
JAL has promoted biofuels for more than a decade and joined Project MORISORA in March 2025. The airline’s investment supports the creation of a “purely domestic SAF” business, using wood sourced entirely within Japan.
A groundbreaking ceremony, called “Jichin-sai,” was held on October 3, 2025, at the demonstration plant site. The facility is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2026, with a commercial plant capable of producing tens of thousands of kiloliters annually by 2030.
JAL and MORISORA Bio Refinery plan to scale up mass production of domestic SAF through Project MORISORA, contributing to a decarbonized society, regional revitalization, and a sustainable future.
