Mitsubishi Electric, based in Japan, and VTT are starting a long-term research collaboration to investigate new technologies for solving global challenges in marine ecosystems. The Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) project for capturing CO2 from oceans is commencing already in 2024.
In the picture, from left: DSc Antti Arasto, Vice President, VTT; PhD Jussi Manninen, Executive Vice President, VTT; Seiji Oguro, Executive Officer and Vice President, Sustainability Innovation Group, Mitsubishi Electric; Akihiko Watanabe, Deputy Vice President, Sustainability Innovation Group, Mitsubishi Electric.
VTT and Mitsubishi Electric have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on developing key nature-positive technologies. The long-term research cooperation is a part of Mitsubishi Electric’s comprehensive strategic initiatives.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric will strive to accelerate development activities aimed at implementing DOC as early as practical and advance a wide range of technology initiatives in collaboration with VTT, ultimately addressing global environmental issues. DOC is one of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to remove CO2 from oceans, which will help eliminate ocean acidification, threatening marine ecosystems and significantly impacting economic activities such as fishing. Thus, DOC will contribute to carbon neutrality and other nature-positive outcomes.
“We are proud and humbled that Mitsubishi Electric has selected us as their cooperation partner, acknowledging VTT’s excellence in research and development of nature-positive technologies that include groundbreaking results in carbon capture. We share the same goal of drastically improving the state of marine ecosystems. Our experts are excited as this is exactly the kind of challenge research needs for making radical breakthroughs,” says Antti Arasto, vice president at VTT and project leader of this collaboration.
The cooperation facilitates an accelerated path for commercial scalability utilising VTT´s capabilities for rapid Technology Readiness Level (TRL) lifting. Finland is also an interesting place for piloting, leveraging its location along the vulnerable Baltic Sea ecosystem. Other Finnish stakeholders may also have the opportunity to contribute their input, which can create new opportunities and benefits for society, the environment, and startups.
Mitsubishi Electric has made sustainability a cornerstone of its business. The company is promoting comprehensive strategic initiatives beyond the boundaries of existing businesses and organisations to create and strengthen synergistic businesses to grow the company while enriching society and the environment.
The company has also set a goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout its value chain by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2051, and pursuing innovation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Mitsubishi Electric aims to actively remove and capture CO2 through its development of CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) technology.
Seiji Oguro, Executive Officer, Vice President, Sustainability Innovation Group, Mitsubishi Electric, said, “Based on our fundamental principle of ‘addressing social challenges through our business,’ we are convinced that this strategic collaboration with VTT will further accelerate our efforts in creating new businesses contributing to ‘Trade-On (mutual benefits)’ activities. We selected VTT because we have recognised their high R&D capabilities and commercialisation mindset, which have led to a proven track record of creating new innovations. By combining the capabilities of both organisations, we are jointly embarking on the challenge to realise a nature-positive world.”
