Joint research to develop bioethanol production technology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nippon Paper Chemicals Co., Ltd. (Head Office: 1-2-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; capitalized at ¥3 billion; President: Toshio Inoue) and Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. (Head Office: 1-1-1 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo; capitalized at ¥107.2 billion; President: Yaichi Kimura) have conducted a joint feasibility study on bioethanol manufacture since April last year. The two companies have identified several technical challenges relating to the manufacture of second-generation bioethanol from cellulosic materials.

NPC and Cosmo Oil put forward a research proposal for the Biomass Energy Advanced Technology R&D grant program operated by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). On July 7, it was announced that this proposal had been accepted.

NPC and Cosmo Oil, teaming up with Tokyo University and Kyushu University, will conduct a series of joint research projects aimed at developing an efficient means of producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass through the sulfite delignification process.*

Outline of the research projects

• (1)  Goal: To develop a practicable process for the production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass based on the sulfite/sulfate delignification method
• (2)  Budget: approx. ¥20 million per annum (grant)
• (3)  Period: 2009-2010 (2 years)
• (4)  Nature of research: In order to produce the sugars that are the raw materials for ethanol production from cellulosic biomass, a pretreatment process will be developed based on the sulfite delignification process applicable to paper manufacturing.
• (5)  Research to be conducted by:
  Nippon Paper Chemicals Co., Ltd.
  Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd.
  The University of Tokyo (Dr. Yuji Matsumoto, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences)
  Kyushu University (Dr. Hiroyuki Wariishi, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences)

* Sulfite delignification process: a method of pulp manufacture that is used industrially in Japan by only one company, NPC. By making soluble the lignin that is the bonding component in wood, it can be separated from the other components (cellulose, hemicellulose), and at the same time the hemicelluloses are hydrolyzed, so it is also useful as a pretreatment stage for the production of bioethanol.

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