Japan’s Zeon Corporation and US-based Visolis Inc. have signed a binding term sheet to further strengthen their collaboration for commercialising bio-based isoprene monomer and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as well as a final investment decision (FID) for a production facility.
This agreement is based on steady progress achieved to date following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in March 2024 and the announcement of a joint feasibility study in April 2025, and signifies a major milestone in the transition from technology verification to the preparatory phase for implementation toward commercialisation.
Under this term sheet, the two companies reached a basic agreement on key items necessary for FID, including business structure, roles and responsibilities, technology and development policies, detailed engineering for the production facility and assessment of candidate sites, engagement of suppliers and regulatory approvals, and the financing process.
The planned production facility is expected to begin commercial-scale production following the demonstration of mass production technology for biomass-based isoprene monomers and SAF using Visolis’ proprietary technology.
Bio-isoprene monomer is a key raw material for synthetic rubbers and other products, while SAF is a next-generation fuel essential for decarbonising the aviation sector.
Zeon and Visolis say they will continue to work toward the early realisation of commercial production and the supply of products to the market.
Visolis’ technology uses fermentation to convert biomass-derived feedstock such as sugarcane and corn into intermediate products. The intermediates can be used to produce bio-isoprene monomers and SAF, Zeon said.
Zeon invested in Visolis in December 2022 through its California-based subsidiary Zeon Ventures.