Kume Island Direct Ocean Capture Pilot

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Hitachi, and Japan Airlines (JAL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 4, 2026 to launch Japan's first pilot test of Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology on Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The pilot uses containerized DOC equipment installed on land, drawing in surrounding seawater to extract and separate CO₂ dissolved directly in the ocean before returning CO₂-depleted seawater, and will establish baseline data on operational performance and coastal environmental impacts. Kume Island was selected for its existing concentration of marine research expertise and clean energy activity, including Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) installations. The DOC technology being tested is developed by US-based Captura Corp, in which the three Japanese partners have previously invested. Beyond validating the technology, the consortium plans to evaluate downstream applications for the captured marine CO₂ with a primary focus on producing synthetic Sustainable Aviation Fuel (e-SAF), positioning the pilot as a first step in building a Japanese domestic carbon removal ecosystem and reducing long-term dependence on imported carbon credits.