On August 5, 2020, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO, Headquarters: Tokyo) announced that it will establish a demonstration research site to promote the commercialization of carbon recycling technologies. The facility will be built within Osaki Power Station, a coal-fired power plant owned by Chugoku Electric Power (‎EnerGia, Headquarters: Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture), located in Osakikamijima, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Osaki Coolgen[1], a clean coal technology subsidiary funded by EnerGia and Tokyo-based Japanese power producer J-Power, is currently demonstrating the feasibility of Integrated Coal Gasification Fuel Cell Combined Cycle (IGFC) and CO2 separation and capture technologies at the station with the support from NEDO. The decision to establish the new demonstration research site for carbon recycling technologies at the station is part of NEDO’s plans to aggregate multiple R&D capabilities at Osaki Power Station to accelerate the commercialization of carbon reduction technologies. NEDO will lead the establishment of the site in partnership with Osaki Coolgen.

NEDO will also fund the following additional projects to support the R&D and demonstration of CO2 utilization technologies.

· Research and demonstration for producing concrete utilizing CO2 / EnerGia, Kajima, and Mitsubishi

· Research and demonstration of synthesis technology for chemical products using carbon recycling / Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Osaka University

· Development of Gas-to-Lipids Bioprocess / Hiroshima University, EnerGia

NEDO has provided total funding of approximately $5.7 million from FY2020 to FY2024 to support the creation of the demonstration research site and the three R&D projects.

NEDO’s funding for the site is part of a broader Japanese governmental effort to mitigate climate change through promoting carbon recycling technologies. In June 2019, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) issued a Roadmap for Carbon Recycling Technologies, which identified challenges and opportunities for the use of CO2 as fuel or raw materials.[2] In September 2019, METI established the Carbon Recycling 3C initiative, which identifies concrete activities that the Japanese government can carry out to accelerate the technological development of carbon recycling and utilization.[3] In January 2020, the Government of Japan issued the Innovative Environmental Innovation Strategy, which aims to develop technologies that will enhance global carbon neutrality and reduce CO2 emissions by 2050.[4][5]

[1] https://www.osaki-coolgen.jp/

[2] https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2019/06/20190607002/20190607002.html

[3] https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2019/09/20190925005/20190925005.html

[4] https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/energy_environment/kankyo_innovation/index.html

[5] https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101342.html