Major Project for Vehicle Biofuel Underway in Miyakojima

On Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture, in southwest Japan, a national project for the development and practical use of biomass fuel derived from sugarcane, a local specialty of Miyako Island, has been underway since October 2005. The project aims to promote the full-scale use of bioethanol, and consists of developing technologies to produce bioethanol fuel (99.5vol%) from molasses with sugar content of 40 percent or more, after the production of sugar, giving 3 percent ethanol-blended gasoline (E3 gasoline) for use in vehicles.

Under the project, the technology to produce absolute ethanol (99.5vol%) has already been developed and an energy efficient and low-cost production system is likely to be feasible. The bioethanol production process is characterized by the use of various original Japanese technologies and patents, such as continuous fermentation with coherent yeast and an energy-efficient condensation-type dehydration process using zeolite membranes.

One major issue for commercialization is how to establish a sustainable circulation system to utilize feed and fertilizer made from distilled liquid waste.

The field test, which started with 50 official vehicles of the prefectural and city offices in Miyakojima City, is now being conducted with 120 official vehicles as of 2006. The government intends to have all cars on Miyako Island, approximately 20,000, running on E3 gasoline by FY 2008.


- High-yielding Sugarcane Developed as Energy Source (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/606-e
- Bioethanol Car Fuel Production Project to be Launched in Okinawa (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1179-e

Posted: 2006/10/13 03:15:24 PM
Japanese version