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Report
No.241202 |
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- Domestic - |
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Agriculture Ministry Starting Support for Bio-fuel from Straw and Rice Husks in Next Fiscal Year Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries decided to support companies, research institutes and other entities that manufacture bio-ethanol from straw and/or rice husks. A plant will be built at a model area that manufacture bio-fuel. An experiment will be conducted for a series of techniques for from obtaining raw materials to the production of fuel and use for vehicles. Its aim is the establishment of a technology to produce bio-fuel in Japan from materials other than agricultural products for human-consumption. It will be included in FY 2008 budget request. The duration of the project will be for five years from FY 2008 to 2012. Companies, research institutes, agricultural groups and other entities will be publicly invited for the participation in the project to choose model areas. It is assumed that Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives and other agricultural groups will participate especially in a field of collection/transportation of materials such as rice straw and husks. A flat rate support will be offered to an effort to collect rice straw and husks at a lower cost for stable supply to an ethanol plant. In addition, a support will be granted to the relevant companies and/or research institutes that cover a two-thirds of an expense necessary for the construction of the plant. The project aims at the practical utilization of the technology for an efficient production of ethanol from cellulose in rice straw and/or husks using enzyme and/or microorganism. A flat rate support will also be given to a test to drive vehicles using the resultant ethanol. The project is a part of a plan to increase the annual production of domestic bio-fuel to "6 million kiloliters by 2030" that was formulated by the Japanese government in February. The plan contains the ministry's estimate that it will be possible to manufacture 1.80 - 2 million kiloliters from rice straw and husks a year. The project will be the first concrete measure toward its realization. |
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