Integrated Japanese energy and materials conglomerate with refining, petrochemical and high-performance materials businesses

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

Tokyo · Ichihara (Chiba) · Tokuyama · Shimonoseki/MojiNew on Amplifa

1911Founded in Moji (Shimonoseki)

Kabushiki Kaisha (stock corporation)Legal form

3,820,000 m²Area of Chiba Works (integrated refinery + petrochemicals)

~6,000Service stations (apollostation) in Japan

500,000 kL/year by 2030SAF supply target

About Idemitsu Kosan

Idemitsu Kosan is a Japanese energy and materials company (Kabushiki Kaisha) founded in 1911 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company operates refineries and petrochemical plants, including the integrated Chiba Works in Ichihara (Chiba Prefecture) on a 3.82 million m² site, where petroleum is processed into fuels such as LPG, gasoline, jet fuel, heating oil and lubricants. In petrochemicals, Idemitsu has Japan's national leading ethylene production capacity and produces basic chemicals from naphtha. In addition, the high-performance materials segment develops and produces lubricants, electronic materials such as organic EL (OLED) light-emitting materials ("Idemitsu Blue"), solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries based on hydrogen sulfide / sulfide chemistry, and CIGS thin-film solar cells. Further business areas include electric power and renewable energies (biomass, wind, solar, geothermal), the resources business (coal, oil/gas) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), for which a national supply of 500,000 kL per year is targeted by 2030. Around 6,000 service stations (apollostation) secure the distribution of fuels.

Site: Tokyo, Japan
Processes: Construction and operation of refineries, Petrochemicals, Lubricants (brand 'The Heart of Technology'), Electronic materials (OLED/organic EL), Functional chemicals, Crop protection products/animal feed, Power supply/renewable energies (biomass, wind, solar, geothermal), Resources business (coal, oil/gas)
Materials: Ethylene/basic chemicals, Organic EL light-emitting materials, Sulfide solid electrolytes (lithium battery materials), CIGS thin-film solar cells, Lubricants, Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Founded: 1911
Industries: Energy/Petroleum, Petrochemicals, Automotive (EV batteries), Aviation (SAF), Electronics/Displays (OLED), Renewable Energies

01
Resource extraction/procurement (petroleum, gas, coal)
02
Transport (tankers, depots)
03
Refining (refineries Chiba, Tokuyama etc.)
04
Petrochemical processing (naphtha into basic chemicals/ethylene)
05
Development and production of high-performance materials (lubricants,
06
Distribution via service station network and B2B channels

Materials & Processes

Ethylen

Ethylene/basic chemicals

Petrochemical base products made from naphtha from in-house refining, with nationally leading production capacity in Japan.

OLED

Organic EL light-emitting materials

Organic light-emitting materials developed since 1985, in particular highly efficient, durable blue emitters ("Idemitsu Blue") for displays.

LiS

Sulfide solid electrolytes (lithium battery materials)

Solid electrolytes made from highly pure lithium sulfide as a key material for all-solid-state batteries, developed jointly with Toyota for mass production.

CIGS

CIGS thin-film solar cells

Radiation-resistant thin-film solar cells made of copper-indium-gallium-selenide, demonstrated in orbit in the JAXA SDX experiment on HTV-X1.

LUB

Lubricants

Lubricants and greases (e.g. idemitsu AshFree) developed and marketed for over 100 years for industry and mobility.

SAF

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

HEFA- and ATJ-based sustainable aviation fuels made from used cooking oil and ethanol.

Sites

Ichihara (Chiba Works)

Integrated refinery and petrochemical plant

Materials: Petroleum products, ethylene/basic chemicals

Approx. 50 refinery units incl. atmospheric distillation (50 m columns)
Petrochemical production facilities

Tokuyama

Refinery, HEFA-SAF project

Materials: SAF (HEFA)

Shimonoseki/Moji

Place of founding (1911)

Tokyo

Headquarters

Inside the production

Industries

Energy/PetroleumPetrochemicalsAutomotive (EV batteries)Aviation (SAF)Electronics/Displays (OLED)Renewable EnergiesAerospace (Solar cells)Mobility/Automotive (EV batteries)Electronics/Display (OLED)Aerospace (Solar cells)

Additional services

Construction and operation of refineriesPetrochemicalsLubricants (brand 'The Heart of Technology')Electronic materials (OLED/organic EL)Functional chemicalsCrop protection products/animal feedPower supply/renewable energies (biomass, wind, solar, geothermal)Resources business (coal, oil/gas)SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)Battery materials (solid electrolyte)CIGS solar cellsService station network (apollostation, approx. 6,000 stations)CVC (Idemitsu Corporate Venture Capital)

Reference customers

Toyota Motor Corporation (cooperation on solid-state batteries, 2023)JAXA (CIGS solar cells for HTV-X1/SDX)Nippon Oil (historical distribution)

History

1911
Founded as Idemitsu Shokai by Sazo Idemitsu in Moji (distribution of lubricating oil for Nippon Oil)
1919
Development of an axle oil that does not freeze even in extreme cold
1940
Headquarters relocated to Tokyo; renamed Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
1953
Tanker Nissho Maru delivers Iranian oil bypassing the British blockade
1957
Start of operations of the company's first refinery in Tokuyama
1963
Start of operations of the refinery in Chiba (Ichihara)
1978
Start of OLED/EL research after the oil crisis; termination of Soviet oil contracts
1997
Presentation of one of the first color OLED televisions; worldwide attention for blue OLED materials
2019
Integration of Showa Shell Sekiyu; inclusion in the Nikkei 225
2022
Presentation of "apollostation Type Green", the first wooden, environmentally friendly service station (Kochi)
2023
Joint press conference with Toyota on mass production of solid-state batteries
2024
Establishment of Idemitsu Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) with a budget of up to 10 billion JPY over 3 years