In Japan, Starbucks has introduced new plant-based, biodegradable straws as the coffee chain works to cut waste in half by 2030. The new straw is made from Green Planet, which uses plant oils instead of petroleum feedstocks. The material degrades into CO2 and water by microorganisms living in sea water and soil, mitigating issues of […]
In Japan, Toray Industries, Inc., has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with major Thai petrochemicals producer PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (GC) to explore mass production technology for adipic acid made from non-edible biomass. Toray and GC will jointly evaluate the feasibility of mass production technology and commercialization in Thailand and Japan. If […]
In Japan, Marubeni Corporation has completed construction on the Aichi Tahara Biomass Power through Aichi Tahara Biomass Power Plant G.K., in which it has invested together with Enewill Corporation and Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. with commercial operations of the power plant commencing November 26. The Power Plant is a wood-fired biomass power plant with a […]
In Japan, Toray Industries announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with major Thai petrochemicals producer PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (GC) to explore mass production technology for adipic acid made from non-edible biomass. Toray and GC will jointly evaluate the feasibility of mass production technology and commercialization in Thailand and Japan. […]
In Japan, World of Renewables reported that Japanese company Enshu Forest Energy officially began operations at its 7.1MW biomass power plant in Fukuroi city, Shizuoka prefecture, on November 16. The report noted that the Enshu plant will use 90,000 tons of wood chips per year, sourced primarily from unused forest materials in Shizuoka. It is […]
In Japan, ORIX Corporation announced that it will conduct a sea trial using biofuel for ship operations in the ORIX-owned vessel currently chartered by Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S. This is the first time for ORIX to use biofuels in the owned vessel, the firm said. The sea trial will use a fuel composed of a mix […]
In Japan, Mitsubishi Chemical Group says its plant-derived polyol “BioPTMG” has been adopted by Kahei Co., Ltd. as a synthetic leather (bio-synthetic leather) material. In addition, small items (shoulder bags, wet tissue cases, etc.) made with this bio-synthetic leather will be available for purchase at “tonto,” run by Triple A Co., Ltd., a planner and […]
In Japan, Idemitsu Kosan Co. and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company have agreed to establish a supply system for e-methanol and biomethanol in Japan by March 2026. The new supply system for e-methanol and bio-methanol, targeted at marine fuel applications, is expected to accelerate demand, and expand the market. In response to the growing demand for […]
In Bulgaria, Renewables Now reported that Japanese renewable power producer Renova announced today that the 49.9-MW Karatsu Biomass Power Plant is now planned to enter commercial operation in March 2025. Originally, the plant was set to come online this December. The reason behind the move is the fact that Renova needs additional time for the […]
In Japan, Chiba University reported that researchers developed a new method for accurately detecting hydrogen with high sensitivity using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy “Hydrogen, a promising fuel, has extensive applications in many sectors. However, its safe and widespread use necessitates reliable sensing methods. While tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) has proved to be […]
