Sumitomo Osaka Cement is targeting full-scale commercialisation of its artificial limestone technology from FY2030 onwards, according to an update in its 2026 Integrated Report.

The company’s 270tpa pilot facility at its Tochigi plant, operational since April 2025, combines calcium extracted from municipal incineration ash with CO2 from cement-plant exhaust gases to produce artificial limestone. Trials are focused on improving production efficiency, stabilising quality and preparing for further scale-up.

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A separate 27tpa test facility in Osaka uses waste plasterboard as its calcium source. The development programme, supported by Japan’s NEDO Green Innovation Fund, entered a subsidised implementation phase in FY2026.