ITRI teams up with Taiwan, Japan firms on brewery carbon capture

工研院（ITRI）與台灣、日本企業合作進行啤酒廠碳捕集

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Industrial Technology Research Institute has partnered with Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp.’s Miaoli brewery to launch a carbon capture trial.

The project aims to capture and purify carbon emissions from the brewery’s beer production line for reuse. ITRI said planning and construction of the pilot system will take place this year, with full deployment expected in 2026, per CNA.

ITRI will provide its solid amine carbon capture technology, while Mitsubishi Electric will handle process control optimization. The brewery will supply flue gas from its natural gas boilers and provide the site for testing.

Wan Hao-peng (萬皓鵬), deputy director of ITRI’s Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, said solid amine technology can capture carbon from industrial exhaust and release it for reuse at relatively low temperatures. The system is compact and scalable, making it suitable for sectors such as manufacturing and electronics.

The institute added that carbon recycling can help mitigate climate change and reduce carbon fees, which Taiwan will begin imposing next year. It hopes the project will support domestic firms in developing effective reduction strategies and transition plans.

Hashimoto Hiroyuki, deputy director at Mitsubishi Electric’s research institute, noted that ITRI’s technology was implemented in June at the company’s Hyogo Prefecture facility. He said the Taiwan project would further advance the company’s carbon recycling capabilities.

Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp. said its Miaoli brewery has already introduced energy-saving measures and upgraded equipment for carbon reduction. The plant also captures carbon generated during fermentation and reuses it in food products. It hopes the new project will further improve carbon recycling and energy efficiency in alcohol production.