201 Possibility of converting unused biomass into alcohol fuel 93-2002-04

 Potential for Conversion of Unused Biomass into Alcohol Fuel

According to a report by the government's New Energy Industry Council, the actual introduction of biomass energy in FY1999 was 5,666,000 kiloliters, and is expected to reach 2,879,000 kiloliters in FY2010. This will significantly exceed the new energy introduction target for FY2010. biomass has been clearly positioned as a new energy source since FY2002 and is eligible for subsidies. As a result, power generation and heat utilization through methane fermentation using food waste, sludge, human waste, and feces and urine have begun in some areas.

However, there has been no effective way to use forestry biomass, such as construction waste wood, thinned wood, sawdust, and saw mill ends, and agricultural biomass, such as rice husks, rice straw, and bagasse, and these have been disposed of as waste. Japan has lagged behind Europe and other countries in the utilization of such unused biomass, but in fiscal 2001, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) allocated funds for research and development for the first time in their budgets related to global environmental conservation.

Among alcoholic fuels, ethanol has attracted particular attention. Ethanol is an energy source that utilizes biomass resources and is produced by fermenting sugars with yeast. Ethanol's properties are similar to those of gasoline, and existing gasoline engine technology can be used directly. Ethanol is highly valued for its low pollution and global warming prevention effects, as it can significantly reduce particulate matter (PM), NOx, and CO2 emissions.

Gasoline mixed with 10% ethanol (gasohol) is now widely used in Brazil, the U.S., and Canada, and its use is also being considered in EU countries, India, and Thailand. In Japan, there was a time when gasoline was mixed with about 20% ethanol and sold, but its use as a fuel has declined due to falling oil prices and the development of natural gas vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

The main reason why alcohol fuel has not become more widely used in Japan is its low price competitiveness with existing gasoline and diesel fuel. The price of ethanol depends largely on the cost of raw materials, which in the U.S. is twice the price of gasoline. In Japan, where food self-sufficiency is low, it is difficult to secure feedstock supply sources, and it is necessary to utilize domestically produced unused resources to increase price competitiveness.

The following projects are involved in the technology of using unused biomass as alcohol fuel.

1 Tsukishima Machinery and Marubeni Group

Developed a system that can saccharify and ferment both cellulose and hemicellulose using KO11, a special bacterium developed by Professor Ingram of the University of Florida; pilot plant with a capacity of 1 ton/hour produces 400 liters of ethanol; pilot plant is currently under construction.

2 JGC Corporation/Nissho Iwai Group

Constructed a demonstration plant with a reactor capacity of 600 liters at the Demizu Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture. Using concentrated sulfuric acid with a concentration of 70%, cellulose and hemicellulose are saccharified. The goal is to extract 280 kg of ethanol per ton from waste wood.

3 Japan Foodstuff Co.

Constructed a pilot plant to produce ethanol from waste paper and wood in Koto-ku, Tokyo. In addition to the conventional fermentation technology using enzymes and yeast, an ozone oxidation method will be introduced to significantly improve saccharification efficiency.

If these technological developments progress, it is expected that the use of alcohol fuels in Japan will become more widespread and more price-competitive.

Thus, the conversion of unused biomass into alcohol fuel has great potential for environmental conservation and effective utilization of energy resources.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)