First Japanese rice ethanol plant will start brewing in 2009
Japan's first commercial plant to produce ethanol for cars from locally-grown rice will reach full capacity of 1 million liters a year by March 2009. The project, which is being developed in Niigata (central Japan), has an estimated cost of 1.6 billion yen (about US $15 million), half of it coming from Japanese Government funding.
The plant will use two types of non-edible brown rice. Although this grain currently has a lower-than-expected yield of 602 kg per 10 ares (1,076 sq ft), far from the expected 800 kg, Japan expects to plant this type of rice in abandoned farmlands, because the country doesn't currently grow ethanol crops in order to mix the biofuel with gasoline.
Regarding competition with food, the Japanese are eating less rice per year, which is allowing the Government to allocate some spare farmland for this type of product.
[Source: Reuters via Planetark]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
K 11:41AM (2/20/2008)
Starving children in Africa?? Pssssshhhh... we're too busy saving the environment by DRIVING!
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Tim 6:32PM (2/20/2008)
Food for automobile fuel? SHAME!
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A.Brien 12:14PM (2/20/2008)
They are panicking and starting to pay to burn the foods, real traitors. They should instead turn
the trash and waste water into liquid and gaseous fuel.
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Karen Pease 6:29PM (2/20/2008)
Well, at least rice needs to be grown on flat land. That'll save them from plowing down the beautiful Niigata mountainsides to make room. Japan has gorgeous forested mountainsides across much of the country, and Niigata is no exception. And their coastline, too:
http://www.daughtersoftiresias.org/dot/Japan%20Trip/large/334.%20Shrine%20on%20a%20towering%20rocky%20outcrop.jpg
As for export, you're not going to see much Japanese rice for export, ever. Japanese agricultural products command a huge premium in the country. Check out, for example, these $24 canteloupes:
http://www.daughtersoftiresias.org/dot/Japan%20Trip/small/166.%20Yes:%2024%20dollar%20canteloupes.jpg
Since they can't produce crops cheaply in Japan due to high land and labor costs, they instead go for extreme quality, and the domestic market pays a high price for that quality. Of course, the fact that they can't typically produce cheap crops would tend to imply that this ethanol will be really overpriced and probably heavily subsidized...
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Prinn 6:29PM (2/20/2008)
ethanol from subsidized rice makes sense in Japan, because their gasoline is very expensive.
Basically, Japan taxes the hell out of their gasoline so that they can support high rice prices by converting it into ethanol.
Is it any wonder why their economy is in shambles?
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RG 6:28PM (2/20/2008)
Yes it's true that they (and everyone else) should utilize waste more efficiently for energy use but in this case they are making something from nothing which is a good thing. They are doing this because they have rice to spare. They aren't trying to cut into their available crop. While rice isn't the most efficient crop at producing ethanol, it may be the easiest to grow there. Of cuorse we can save the value of ethanol debate for some other time.
As far as feeding Africa, this may sound cold hearted but quite frankly that's Africa's problem. I only care about me and my country. Everyone else can take care of themeselves. When the US has some natural disaster we never see other countries come to our aid. We go help everyone else. we give money and food anytime someone needs it yet everyone hates us. Why is that? Screw Africa. I'm sorry for the people that live there but it's not my problem. It's theirs.
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Charlie Phillips 3:36AM (3/12/2008)
The poor will starve so the rich can enjoy the convenience of driving. This is disgusting. The price of rice has risen 20% in the last year in Taiwan. You people who support ethanol production are lower than worms.
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