Japan's Itochu acquires stake in Benefuel

In Illinois, Japan’s Itochu has purchased more than 4% of Chicago-based Benefuel and is looking to develop operations using a technology for manufacturing biodiesel fuel efficiently and at low cost, using a new Benefuel catalyst, in Asia by 2012.

Itoochu started demonstration experiments in a pilot plant for using the bifunctional solid catalyst jointly with Daiki Axis Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of biodiesel fuel in Japan. The demonstration experiments are part of the NEDO Innovation Promotion Program and are being conducted as the “development of a next-generation BDF (biodiesel fuel) manufacturing process using a bifunctional solid catalyst” by Daiki Axis.

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