Environmental Solutions
BioPhenolics Co. aims at mass production of dozens of aromatic chemicals using “smart cells”
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/column/16/021500017/090500297/ https://bio-phenolics.com/?page_id=68 BioPhenolics is a startup from the University of Tsukuba that is conducting research and development of technology to…
Japan’s NEDO goes for carbon-neutral ammonia-combusting industrial furnaces
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101678. As part of the Green Innovation Fund Project, NEDO will launch the “Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in the Manufacturing…
Japan demonstrates battery controller for solar roads
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101674.html Under NEDO’s “Technology Research and Development Project for Discovery and Commercialization of New Energy and Other Seeds”, MIRAI-LABO Co.,…
JGC and Bacchus Co to cooperate on green chemicals from biofoundries
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/07/08/10893/ JGC Holdings (HD), which focuses on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of plants, and Bacchus BioInnovation (Kobe, President Mikio…
Spraying of yeast esterase accelerates degradation of biodegradable mulch films
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/07/05/10885/ Biodegradable mulch film has been commercially available for about 20 years. Hiroko Kitamoto and her team from theNational Institute…
NEDO supports study on LCA of cellulose nanofiber materials CNF
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101659.html NEDO supports five R&D themes for the “Study and Evaluation of Evaluation Methods for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of…
Japanese consortium applies ammonia combustion to architectural glass production
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101666.html As part of NEDO’s “Development of Fuel Ammonia Utilization and Production Technology”, AGC Corporation, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, AIST,…
Regional Fish Co. and NTT cooperate on land-based aquaculture and sales of genome-edited fish and shellfish
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/06/27/10852/ Regional Fish and NTT announced the establishment of a joint venture company to produce and sell improved seafood on…
NEDO starts wide program on quantum-AI hybrid technology
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101665.html NEDO has begun development and demonstration of applications and libraries that can address issues that are difficult to solve…
Inexpensive enzymes allow for economic bioethanol production from local biomass
https://www.eng.nipponsteel.com/news/2023/20230602.html The Next Generation Green CO2 Fuel Technology Research Association is a research association formed by ENEOS, Suzuki, Subaru, Daihatsu,…
HiBD Co. produces certified biojet fuel from waste cooking oil
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101656.html The City University of Kitakyushu and HiBD Research Institute have jointly developed a technology for the commercialization of sustainable…
GEI opens Biofoundry Manufacturing Plant
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/06/06/10774/ https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101654.html On June 2, 2023, Green Earth Institute inaugurated the Biofoundry Research Institute, part of the New Energy and…
NEDO supports ammonia-cofired ship engine development
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101651.html NEDO has started the world’s first ammonia fuel mixing test using an actual marine 4-stroke engine with an 80%…
Galdiera – a red microalgae useful for gold extraction from waste water and micro-mining
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/column/16/021500017/042000276/ Galdieria sulphuraria is a heterotrophic red alga found in sulfuric hot springs. It is a member of the Aedes…
Toray and Mitsui Sugar realize bagasse-to-sugar plant in Thailand
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101636.html Toray Ltd. and DM Mitsui Sugar have jointly developed a system to produce plant-derived sugar from sugarcane residue (bagasse)…
CHITOSE Carbon Capture Central (C4) starts 7 ha microalgae cultivation facility in Kuching, Malaysia
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/report/16/082400016/041900285/ Across the road is a thermal power plant, and the CO2 in its exhaust gas is used to cultivate…
Taisei Corp. makes Synechococcus produce extracellular fatty acids
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101632.html A research team, consisting of Taisei Corporation, Saitama University, Chubu University, and Kazusa DNA Research Institute, succeeded in producing…
Kao Corp: gallic acid and 4,3-AHBA from glucose
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/04/12/10582/ At the JSBBA conference 2023, Kao has announced the production of gallic acid, a raw material for semiconductors and…
Plastics to fertilizer: guiding principles for fully bio-based polycarbonates
https://www.jst.go.jp/pr/announce/20230412/pdf/20230412.pdf https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2023/PY/D3PY00079F A research team led by Associate Professor Daisuke Aoki of Chiba University Poly has synthesised isosorbide carbonates (PICs)…
NEDO initiates program on “smart microorganisms” producing value products from CO2
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101619.html As part of the Green Innovation Fund project, NEDO will start the “Promotion of carbon recycling using CO2 as…
Shipping and receiving locations for Japan’s liquefied hydrogen supply chain
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101612.html As part of NEDO’s Green Innovation Fund Project “Large-Scale Hydrogen Supply Chain Construction Project,” Japan Hydrogen Energy Corporation, Iwatani…
FAST thermoelectric materials may offer an environmental friendly option for roadside sensors in autonomous driving: NEDO
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101604.html Meti’s project house Nedo is sponsoring a collaborative project to improve the performance and reduce the cost of thermoelectric…
Kyoto Prefectural University startup to sell “short rice” suitable for plant factories
Kyoto Prefectural University has begun offering a strain of “short rice” that is easy to use for plant-based material production…
Microwave Chemical Co. completes 1 t/d demonstration facility for microwave-based recycling of plastics
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101587.html Under a contract from NEDO, Microwave Chemical Co. has completed Japan’s first general-purpose microwave demonstration facility for the recovery of monomers from…
NEDO initiates program on blue ammonia production
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101590.html According to Japan’s “Sixth Basic Energy Plan” of October 2021 hydrogen and ammonia power generation is expected to account…
METI secures 2 billion € fund to promote biomanufacturing (bio monozukuri)
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/22/11/08/10133/ METI will allocate 300 billion yen (2 billion €) to a new fund that will support companies that develop…
Hydrogen ministerial meeting held in Tokyo
The Hydrogen Ministerial, a global ministerial dedicated to hydrogen, is working towards the Global Action Agenda goal of 10 million…
NEDO defines 5 “moonshot” projects to accelerate natural CO2 adsorption
NEDO has adopted five projects to identify new technologies to achieve the Moonshot Goal 4 “Achieve sustainable resource recycling for…
Sekisui converts waste to ethanol
https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/22/09/21/09955/ Sekisui Chemical plans to commercialize a technology that uses microorganisms to convert combustible garbage into ethanol by 2025. In…
NEDO starts evaluation of “household type” CO2 absorbers
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101572.html In collaboration with the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NEDO has jointly engaged in…
