Top 10 Asia Bioeconomy Trends

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With apologies to every other region around the world. we continue to see Asia as the epicenter of the biobased revolution over the next 20 years. The reasons are three and relatively straightforward:

1. Continued and robust economic growth.
2. Massive biomass resource.
3. Lack of fossil energy reserves.

Among Asia-watchers we are far less bullish on China and far more so on India. There, we see the larger long-term demand, the messy but more creative democratic structure, and a more constructive and less costly vision for India’s place in the international sphere. The expensive militarism which typically seduces far too much diversion of capital in the United States, Russia and China is less present in India.

Here are the top trends in 10 key markets as we have seen them from The Digest’s conning tower.

Cambodia

In May we reported that, as part of China’s “The Belt and Road Initiative”, Hong Kong-based North Asia Resources will buy 14,000ha in Pursat Province for more than $52 million in order to produce cassava that will supply a 100,000 metric ton per year ethanol plant. Methane, carbon dioxide, bio-solid organic fertilizers and bio-power generation will also be produced at the facility.

China

Last week we reported that China Airlines is participating in the biofuel program jointly developed by Airbus and Air TOTAL, with the 10th new A350 aircraft ferried back to Taiwan on Friday containing Sustainable Aviation/Alternative Fuels (SAF) added to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by around 20,000 kg.

Though there has been talk that advanced biofuels will be the focus for 2025, conventional ethanol production will fill the gap well after then.

In September we reported that the government announced it will implement an E10 blending mandate by 2020 as part of its strategy to work through 200 million metric tons of corn stocks ...

India

In November we reported that during the release of the new draft biofuels policy this week would, the oil minister said that oil marketing companies must be required to offtake 2G ethanol ensure the viability of production, secure sufficient supplies and reduce pollution.

Indonesia

In November we reported that the government is considering filing a suit in US courts and a complaint with the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement body over the anti-dumping duties lobbed onto its biodiesel exports to the US if they aren’t canceled.

Japan

In May we reported that efforts have been made by researchers to reduce the cost of biodiesel production by using pulsed electric fields (PEF) to extract hydrocarbons from microalgae.

Korea

Last November we reported that researchers at UNIST uncovered new ways to make biofuel from carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most troublesome greenhouse gas. In their paper published in the journal Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, the team presented direct CO₂ conversion to liquid transportation fuels by reacting with renewable hydrogen (H2) generated by solar water splitting.

This new delafossite-based catalyst, composed of inexpensive, earth-abundant copper and steel is used in a reaction between CO₂ emissions of industrial plants and H2 generated from solar hydrogen plant to produce diesel.

This direct CO₂-FT synthesis is different from the German car maker Audi’s CO₂-to-dielsel conversion process, which actually involves two steps – reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction to CO followed by CO Fisher-Tropsch (FT) synthesis.

Malaysia

In November we reported that the plantation and commodities minister criticized the European Parliament’s industry and energy committee’s support for a ban on palm oil-based biofuels as proposed by the environment committee as a step backwards for EU-Malaysian trade relations.

Myanmar

In October we reported that a local company is getting some Australian agronomy support to grow hombayniya on the banks of the Yangon River as feedstock for biodiesel production.

The project aims to scale up technology developed by Japan’s New Energy Industrial Technology Development Organization with support from the University of Kobe, growing algae outdoors in 10,000 m2 facilities, seven times larger than where it is currently being trialed Kagoshima.

Vietnam

In September we reported that a vessel of 3,000 cu m of ethanol will soon be on its way from Vietnam with its arrival expected in September thanks to an arbitrage window that opened up following the start of plant maintenance season in China. A subsidy for ethanol plants also expired while some plants ran up against environmental challenges that caused slowdowns, all of which helped to boost domestic prices to $879/mt on Thursday, up more than 13% in the past two months. With stronger prices, the shipment will bring in more imports in one go than the entire 2,792 cu m the country imported this year through July. READ MORE