Japan Aims to Increase Biofuels for Transport to 10% Share by 2030

A committee for promoting the use of eco-fuels, established by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, reported in May 2006 that it has set a target to introduce a total of 500,000 kiloliters (crude oil equivalent) of bioethanol and biodiesel by 2010 and four million kiloliters by 2030, which will account for 10 percent of all transportation fuels, .

Bioethanol, produced mainly from sugarcane, can replace gasoline, and biodiesel made from rapeseed can replace conventional diesel oil. In the report, the committee proposes that all gasoline vehicles be required to run on a blend containing 10 percent ethanol, and to switch fuels for diesel vehicles to biodiesel blends by 2030.

Since the domestic production of these biofuels is still at the feasibility-testing phase, Japan will have to import about 90 percent of them to meet the initial target of 500,000 kiloliters by 2010. The report also points out the need for tax breaks to make biofuels competitive with gasoline and conventional diesel oil.

http://www.env.go.jp/en/

Posted: 2006/11/04 11:47:11 AM
Japanese version