Cosmo Invests in and Concludes Business Alliance Agreement with S-Bridges ~Transforming Unused Plant Materials into Valuable Resources and Accelerating Commercialization Toward the Realization of a Resource-recycling Society~
December 19, 2025
Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.
S-Bridges Corporation
Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereafter, “Cosmo Energy Holdings” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that it has invested in, and concluded a business alliance agreement with, S-Bridges Corporation (hereafter, “S-Bridges”) to accelerate the commercialization of businesses to produce valuable resources from unused plant materials and bioethanol from by-product fibers.
■ About the Unused Plant-derived Bioethanol Production Business Being Jointly Studied
Aiming to transform all unused plant materials into valuable resources, S-Bridges possesses the proprietary Cell Breaker® System, which extracts useful components—such as proteins and raw materials for liquid fertilizer—from unused plant materials, including tea and coffee grounds, generated during food processing. During this extraction process, cellulosic fibers are obtained as a by-product.
Cosmo Energy Holdings is focusing on utilizing these fibers as a feedstock for bioethanol produced from inedible raw materials and initiated a joint study with S-Bridges in September 2025¹.
Through this initiative, the Company will effectively utilize unused plant materials from factories and farms. By using cellulose obtained together with useful components as feedstock, lower feedstock costs and greater efficiency in the ethanol production process are expected, contributing to zero emissions and the realization of a circular economy.
Going forward, the Company will work to supply domestically produced ethanol at an affordable price, promote resource recycling, and enhance energy security by sourcing such materials from domestic food and beverage manufacturing plants.
Conceptual diagram of the joint study
■ Contribution to Vision 2030
This initiative is one of the concrete measures that the Cosmo Energy Group is implementing to “strengthen competitiveness of the Oil Business and pursue low carbonization” as set forth in Vision 2030, which outlines the Group's medium- to long-term goals. The Group will accelerate efforts to realize a low-carbon society by ensuring a stable source of feedstock for ethanol and other next-generation fuels.
▪️About the Cosmo Energy Group
The Cosmo Energy Group is comprised of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co. Ltd. and its group companies, and is committed to providing a stable energy supply and related services. The Group announced its 2050 Net Zero Carbon Declaration and is accelerating decarbonization-related initiatives under Vision 2030 and its Seventh Consolidated Medium-Term Management Plan. The Group seeks to address societal challenges and achieve sustainable corporate development under its Group Management Vision: “Striving for an infinite tomorrow, developing sustainably in harmony with humanity, society, and our planet.”
▪️About S-Bridges Corporation
S-Bridges, a start-up originating from Shizuoka University, is dedicated to creating a fully circular platform in the soft drink raw materials market through its Bio Material Transformation (Green Tech) business, which enables the complete utilization of plant materials. In addition, S-Bridges is committed to building a platform to help realize a nature-positive world and aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable society.
- Press release issued on September 1, 2025
https://www.cosmo-energy.co.jp/en/information/press/2025/250901-01.html
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(The official language for Cosmo Energy Group's filings with the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Japanese authorities, and for communications with our shareholders, is Japanese. We have posted English versions of some of this information on this website. While these English versions have been prepared in good faith, Cosmo Energy Group does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the translations, and reference should be made to the original Japanese language materials.)