Nippon Oil completes 26 Mgy ETBE plant; Japan to use 100 Mgy of ethanol for fuel additive that improves gasoline burning

In Japan, Nippon Oil announced that it has completed the first manufacturing facility for the ethanol-based additive ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE). The industry has said that it intends to distribute ETBE-blended gasoline in concentrations of up to 20 percent. ETBE gasoline is a cleaner burning fuel.
The Nippon Oil’s Negishi refinery in Yokohama will commence [...]

October 27, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

IEA Task 39 group publishes comprehensive update on Japan’s biofuels industry

In Japan, the Task 39 committee of the International Energy Agency provided a comprehensive update on bioenergy in Japan from Professor Shiro Saka at the Graduate School of Energy Science at Kyoto University.
“According to our research in recent years, approximately 370 million tons of biomass resources are annually produced in Japan,” wrote Dr. Saka. “Among [...]

October 20, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Japanese prefecture commences sales of rice-based E3 ethanol

In Japan, Niigata prefecture of Japan has commenced sales of E3 ethanol, with he ethanol content made locally from brown rice. According to a report in thaindiane.com, the Japanese National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations Zennoh said that “E3 ethanol is equivalent to regular gasoline both in quality and mileage, and will be available in [...]

July 19, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Petrobras commences distribution of E3 ethanol in Japan

In Brazil, the state oil company Petrobras annoucned that it has commenced distribution and marketing of E3 ethanol in Japan, with the launch of E3 in Tokyo by Brazil Japan Ethanol, a joint venture of Petrobras and Japan Alcohol Trading. The JV partnered in turn the Japanese Ministry of the Environment to produce ethanol at [...]

March 04, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Honda to launch cellulosic ethanol research center in Japan

In Japan, Honda Motor said that it will commence construction of a cellulosic ethanol research centre in Chiba prefecture in April and commence operations in November. The celebrated automaker has already developed technology for production of ethanol from cellulose, and said that it would continue to remain an industry leader in the development of eco-friendly [...]

February 27, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Japanese researchers say next-gen biomass heaters could save 4.6 million tons of CO2

In Japan, researchers have developed a waste biomass charcoal heater with a thermal efficiency range of 60-81 percent, compared to existing biomass stoves which have a 46-54 percent thermal efficiency. Scientists say that deployment of the next-generation heaters in Asia, where rural homes typically use charcoal burned on portable grills for home heating, could greatly [...]

February 17, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Special Report on Cellulosic Ethanol: Japan veers from rice, aims for farm waste as CE feedstock in $32 million pilot project

In Japan, the agriculture ministry has been hard at work identifying potential projects to convert agricultura; waste to ethanol, in support of a small ethanol usage commitment from the national government.
Rice has been increasingly “off-limits” as a feedstock due to food vs fuel concerns. The ministry recently approved $32 million in subsidies for a pilot [...]

January 19, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Japanese researchers improve bamboo cellulosic conversion by 37X; bamboo could supply up to 58 Mgy of Japanese ethanol by 2030

In Japan, a research team at Shizuoka University has developed new techniques for conversion of bamboo to ethanol. The team has developed a means of improving the efficiency of conversion of cellulose to glucose by 2 percent to 75 percent, and expects to raise that result to 80 percent in the future. The team said [...]

December 26, 2008 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

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