In Japan, Asahi Kasei has successfully completed a demonstration trial of an innovative biogas purification system using zeolites in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Begun in February 2025, the trial achieved biomethane production with yield of up to 99.5% or more and purity of 97% or more. With such exceptional performance in both yield and purity, […]
In Japan, ENEOS Corporation and TOPPAN Holdings Co., Ltd. have decided to begin construction of a pilot plant within the Fuji Mill of Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd as part of a wastepaper bioethanol demonstration project being carried out by both companies. This demonstration will involve a pretreatment process developed by TOPPAN Holdings that removes […]
In Japan, researchers at Shinshu University have found that bioplastic poly(d-lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate) lost over 80% of its mass in just 13 months when submerged deep in the ocean. The real-world test establishes LAHB as a more biodegradable plastic than leading bioplastic polylactic acid. According to the OECD’s Global Plastics Outlook, about 353 million metric tons of […]
In Japan, Kintetsu World Express, Inc. has signed an additional agreement with Cathay Pacific Airways for the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Since 2021, KWE has been in discussions with Cathay regarding the use of SAF. In April 2022, it participated in its pilot SAF program for corporate customers as one of the founding partners, […]
In Japan, on June 10, 2025, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) introduced an action plan to introduce E10 and E20 gasoline. As part of this plan, Japan aims to introduce a nationwide E10 gasoline option by 2030. To prepare for this transition, METI plans to conduct a smaller-scale introduction of E10 gasoline […]
In Japan, Taisei Corporation and Euglena Co., Ltd. have introduced HVO in light oil, which reduces CO 2 emissions by 51%. This will be the first of its kind in Japan to be introduced to a construction site for this fuel. Taisei Corporation is working on the Zero Carbon Construction, which aims to achieve net […]
In Japan, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. have acquired Approval in Principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for their jointly developed liquefied CO2 (LCO2) / methanol carrier. AiP acquisition for this type of carrier marks a world’s first. Technologies for converting CO2 into fuel or chemical products are attracting attention […]
In Japan, nanoplastics are an increasing threat to the ecosystem; however, their mobility in the soil is still underexplored. Against this backdrop, researchers from Waseda University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology investigated the adsorption and aggregation behavior of nanoplastics in different types of soil under different pH conditions. The study […]
In Japan, Sumitomo Chemical has successfully developed technology to produce liquid crystal polymer from a monomer derived from biomass materials. LCP is a type of engineering plastic with high heat and fire resistance. It is used electric and electronic components in smartphones, automotive parts, and office automation equipment. Sumitomo’s process also completely separates biomass materials […]
In Japan, biotechnology firm bitBiome has partnered with an unnamed CMO for the manufacturing and supply of its enzymes, proteins and ingredients. bitBiome’s platform is built on their proprietary single-cell microbial genome analysis technology, bit-MAP®. Using bioinformatics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, bitBiome has used bit-MAP to create a comprehensive enzyme discovery and enzyme, pathway […]
