Symposium In Japan Encourages Biofuels Use In Transportation Sector

Earlier this month, BGA Japan, an international consulting firm, held a symposium promoting the production and use of ethanol by the transportation sector in Japan. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has been supporting BGA Japan through providing the firm with updates on the ethanol market and the benefits that come with using the biofuel.

“BGA Japan is a U.S.-based organization that advocates and assists USGC in various projects to facilitate the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship for the mutual benefits,” said Mackenzie Boubin, USGC director of global ethanol export development. “The Council fully supports BGA Japan’s efforts to introduce bioethanol into the Japanese market as a key priority in our bilateral relationship.”

To an audience of more than 100 people, Mr. Akira Amari, a member of the House of Representatives in Japan, encouraged Japan to take more initiative in the international environmental and biofuels rulemaking.

He also shared his thoughts on the use of biofuels versus electric vehicles (EVs) in the future, explaining that while new car sales may move toward EVs, internal combustion vehicles will remain the dominant on-road vehicle in the decades to come, further creating the demand for carbon neutral fuels for vehicles in Japan.

“Mr. Amari is known as an internationally minded policy maker who also led the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation. He was the leader for Japan to negotiate deals with the U.S. government. He also understands the value of bioethanol in energy security by diversifying the source and the environmental benefits to contribute to carbon neutrality,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan. “The Council expects his leadership to consider bioethanol as one of the options Japan has for energy security and carbon neutrality.”

Japan currently imports 218 million gallons of ethanol in the form of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), of which 137 million gallons were of U.S. origin during the 2021/22 marketing year. The Council will continue to work with the government of Japan to incentivize direct blending of ethanol to advance Japan’s carbon reduction goals and address its energy security concerns and work together with like-minded entities to facilitate the promotion.