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CHAPTER 6. |
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Upcoming issues and prospects for biofuel |
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6.1 Target of Biomass Nippon Strategy |
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The people of Japan should think of Biomass Nippon first when they think of a company that achieves the maximum capacity and practical use and possible growth of biomass for use as an energy source and in the manufacture of goods.
With the practical uses of biomass and the outcome of the efforts of technological development spreading all over the country, our image will be to demonstrate the possible forms of the current technological development discoveries.
Among the public, the developing familiarity with biomass means to be conscious of it in everyday life as a resource and also as part of a waste control system. Production and the conversion of biomass will evolve from efforts that originate highly profitable, environmentally friendly products and energy in addition to proper nitrogen cycling etc. to efforts that further develop the products and energy. In this way the uses of the biomass spreads in our everyday life.
Household waste and that from the food service industry and retail stores, etc. will be collected and classified according to in a manner that facilitates reuse. It can be composted, etc. and carbonized or made to the methane for use as energy. Remainders from food processing etc. which can regularly be produced then become a resource used as fodder, and help increase the rate of food self-sufficiency.
Working toward improvement of the quality of compost made from sewage sludge and the domestic animal excrement will result in better demand. We can expect its use as energy not only in the facilities where it is produced, but also in neighbouring facilities to produce heat and electricity.
Wood by-products from the construction industry can be prioritized for use as the raw material for paper production. Materials inappropriate for those products can be used as the ethanol fuel and as the fuel power generation etc.
Efficient collection of rice plant straw for use as fodder, will improve the rate of self-sufficiency of the coarse feed to 100%. Moreover, farm products can be used not only for food but also in manufacturing and as a raw material of energy. Farms will change as environmental friendly agriculture advances with a stable supply of good quality compost and the use of bio fuels in farm machinery.
With the use of forestry by-products, including thinning, benefits include prevention of global warming, and healthy national forest growth management and maintenance. At the same time as the public grows to understand the role of forests in the preservation of the water supply, we will realize profits through forestry-based products and energy with great reductions in cost of production, transportation, and processing.
In these ways, most waste system biomass and unused biomass can be used as a product or energy. Nationwide, “biomass towns” will be built up effectively and systematically. With organic refuse we can achieve a zero-emission society.
With the diversification of the vehicle motor systems, the use of biodiesel and bio-ethanol will grow. Power generation and heat generation using biomass from varied sources will be widely in use. Local production for local consumption of energy, including part of the private sector and vicinity power demand will be achieved. Biomass plastic will be widely used in products, establishing a system with low environmental impact. |
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6.2 Problems and considerations for biofuel |
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6.2.1 Problems on the technical side |
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(1) Crop production
In order to expand the production of bio fuel domestically, there must be a stable, low cost supply of the biomass that becomes the raw material. To get maximum and effective use of the land in our country with limited area depends of course on taking advantage of the as much arable land as possible. Additionally, we must use genetics to identify a biomass with a lot of glucose and starch, promote resource crops with big biomass quantity and develop labor saving and the low-cost cultivation technology. |
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(2) Collection and transportation
There is great potential in terms of quantity of unused biomass of the rice plant straw and surplus wood, surplus material, etc. as a raw material for a significant production expansion of a domestic biofuel. However, under present circumstances the collection and transportation cost of these undeveloped biomasses is high and so there is little expansion in their use. Therefore, it is essential that the collection and transportation of the biomass be low-cost. Specifically, a collection and shipment system of wood surplus material in joint cooperation with the timber production, and the development of efficient forestry machinery are needed. |
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(3) Conversion to ethanol
To produce bio-ethanol at low cost and efficiently using biomass, resource crops, unused forestry by-product biomass and rice plant straw must be mixed efficiently with glucose and starchy raw materials. Particularly, when manufacturing bio-ethanol it is necessary to develop technologies, etc. that saccharify and ferment the cellulose and the semi-cellulose effectively, and remove the saccharification and fermentation inhibitor lignin from rice plant straw and the cellulose of the wood surplus material.
Moreover, following fermentation, it is necessary to develop a low-energy technology in which membrane permeation and separation technology, etc. are used in the concentration, distillation, and dehydration process of the ethanol.
In addition, it is necessary to decrease the total cost that of ethanol by developing a use and treatment technology for the manufacturing by-product materials and waste fluids of the conversion process of the ethanol. |
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6.2.2 Problems on the system side, etc. |
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(1) Bio fuel mixture rate |
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① About bio-ethanol
According to the law on maintaining the quality and safety of volatile fuels (Law 88, 1976, hereinafter referred to as the true goods law., bio-ethanol can be mixed safely with gasoline up to 3% when considering auto parts circulating in the market already and the exhaust gas properties. In countries where the use of bio fuels is more advanced, there is a higher mandates mixture rate. In Brazil, for instance it is 20-25% and in some of the United States 10%.
Of new cars domestically produced, there are some vehicles capable of using up to 10% bio-ethanol (E10) mixed gasoline. Cars already purchased can be expected to come out of the secondhand car market etc. in ten years or more. Considering factors such as securing a stable supply and maintaining the economy of the bio-ethanol, around 2020 the true goods law will be reviewed with an eye to raising the rate of mixing of additives, including ethanol, keeping in mind the state of applicable vehicles and confirming their safety and emissions properties. |
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② About biodiesel fuel
From March of this year, the mixture ratio of the fatty acid methylic ester widely used as a biodiesel fuel will be fixed at 5% or less in light oil, as a standard under the true goods law, according to the safety and emissions properties of cars already on the market.
As 100% biodiesel fuel is exempt from the light oil delivery tax, the price competitiveness of 100% biodiesel fuel compared with biodiesel-light oil mixed fuel means that it is used in many localities. However, because of low grade fuels and the fact that cars are not manufactured on the assumption that they will run on 100% biodiesel fuel, vehicles sometimes run poorly. |
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(2) Manufacturing, circulation, storage, and use
Prevention of moisture mixing during the circulation and use of bio fuels to secure quality is indispensible for air pollution prevention measures. In the case of E3, it is necessary to examine the thoroughness of moisture mixing prevention at the distribution level in places such as the oil refinery, oil store facility, and gas stations. With this in mind, from fiscal year 2007, Miyakojima and metropolitan areas have developed a larger-scale E3 certification body.
Regarding ETBE, the risks of long term toxicity and environmental exposure based on the second grade chemical substances of the chemical judgment law are being examined now. In addition, from fiscal year 2007 a distribution certification body of the ETBE mixed gasoline will be developed to examine concrete equipment and countermeasures against of the leakage, etc. Based on results including these, the necessity of introducing the measures and equipment will be determined.
As far as automobiles are concerned, it is necessary determine measures for enhancing the safety of bio fuel cars which are the basis for raising the mixing rate with gasoline and develop a technological index corresponding to the environment. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is now examining this with a view to maintaining the technological standards etc. of E10 cars.
As the foundation for the expansion of the use of bio fuels, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is examining a new infrastructure system to ensure quality and the collection of taxes fairly based on four principles: “priority to consumers,” “trust, safety, and fairness," "improving energy security ", and "valuing innovation." |
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(3) Examination of various techniques including the tax system
Various techniques including the tax system will be examined. |
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6.2.3 Further Issues |
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(1) Understanding marketing to the public
The use of a domestic bio fuel is deeply connected to national life, and it is important that each member of the public recognize the need of using domestic bio fuel. Therefore, it is important to obtain the public understanding of the benefits, etc. of using domestic bio fuels. It is also important that concrete practices of the domestic bio fuel use are element in a wide field of educational including agriculture, food, the environment, energy, etc. thus enhancing the education of children who are our future. |
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(2) Energy efficiency during the entire life cycle and evaluation of effect of greenhouse gas reduction
While biomass energy does have a carbon neutral effect, there is a fear of a negative effect if the energy used during the production of bio fuels and the exhausted amount of CO2 increase. Therefore, it is important in the production process of the bio fuel to reduce the needed fossil fuels and the amount of CO２ exhaust as much as possible. From the perspective of the life cycle, it is necessary to develop based on the evaluation of the energy balance and the CO２ input and output. With a view to constructing a recycling oriented society, it is necessary to note uses of waste other than bio fuel in order to control waste generation, and properly promote the re-use and recycling of waste. |
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(3) Preventing market confusion with beverages and other industrial uses
Currently ethanol is used domestically for beverages and industrially. In the future, the bio-ethanol for fuel use will flow into the existing market for beverages and industrial use and we have to take care that it does not cause confusion in market. |
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