In Japan, the Research for Innovative Technology of the Earth program (RITE) has carried out an extensive progam for microalgal CO2 utilization. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) funds this program, through the New Energy Development Organization (NEDO). The program was established in 1990 as a 10-year effort, carried out by approximately two dozen private companies, with some supporting work at various national laboratories and academic institutions. The budget is generally stated to be approximately $80 million (10 billion Yen) for 10 years; however, this is only for direct costs provided by RITE to the companies. If all indirect costs and supporting R&D at various institutes were to be included, this would easily double this budget. Also, microalgae-CO2 capture related R&D has been going on at the Japanese electric utilities, projects that are not part of the MITI-NEDO-RITE program. Thus, perhaps it is no exaggeration to estimate that during the 1990s the Japanese government and private companies will have invested more than $200 million (and perhaps closer to $250 million) in this research.

Although the Japanese microalgae R&D program is very large, it can be summarized rather briefly. Contrary to the U. S. approach, the Japanese effort has focused on closed photobioreactors, and on higher-value products. The argument made for closed photobioreactors was that these would require less land area than open ponds, because of much higher productivities. The higher productivities were assumed to be possible by using optical fibers to diffuse light into the reactors, and by greater control over environmental conditions (such as the ability to supply high CO2 levels to the cultures). Lower land requirements were also assumed to be possible with the optical fiber devices, although the land required for the concentrating mirrors was apparently not considered. The Japanese RITE program has yet to carry out, or at least report on, any technical, engineering, or economic analysis on such processes. A Japanese report (by researchers not part of the RITE program) to the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D

Programme (IEA 1994) on microalgae “direct biofixation” of CO2, was based on prior U. S. engineering and cost analyses (Ikuta 1994), though they dried the algal biomass to replace coal.

The Japanese RITE program has presented some results on their microalgae genetics program and photobioreactor development (Murakami and Ikenouchi 1997; Usui and Ikenouch 1975). But these add little detail to the development of this technology.

One major emphasis of the Japanese program has been on developing high-value coproducts, from animal feeds to antibiotics to specialty chemicals. Some are rather esoteric, such as algae-based paper and concrete additives. In brief, the Japanese RITE Biological CO2 Fixation Program, and other Japanese R&D activities, perhaps in part by concentrating on such higher — value products, have not significantly advanced the technology for biofuels production or CO2 utilization, despite large investments.

One exception is the work carried out by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and several electric utilities, in particular Tohoku Electric Co., near the northern city of Sendai, in the early 1990s. There, a small pond (approximately 3-m2) project was carried out on the mass culture of diatoms and green algae. These studies initially used algal strains obtained from the NREL culture collection, and then with strains that spontaneously appeared and dominated the cultures at this site (Negoro et al. 1992, 1993). Productivity data were obtained and were generally in accord with the work at Roswell, New Mexico. (Two authors of this report, Benemann and Weissman, were consultants to this project.)

Another interesting project was carried out by MHI and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), which demonstrated actual increased productivity in optical fiber bioreactors. However, the complication and costs of these devices resulted in this project shifting to more conventional, air-lift tubular reactors. Recently TEPCO-MHI released a publicity announcement of a major breakthrough in the production of ethanol from microalgae biomass. However, little specific technical information is available on this work.

I Publications:

Ikuta, Y. (1994) “Design of a biological system for CO2 fixation, in carbon dioxide utilization- direct biofixation.” Report to the Int. Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme.

Murakami, M.; Ikenouchi, M. (1997) “The biological CO2 fixation and utilization project by RITE. 2. Screening and breeding of microalgae with high capability of fixing CO2.” Energy Conver. Mgmt. 38: Suppl. 493-498.

Negoro, M.; Shioji, K.; Ikuta, Y.; Makita, T.; Utiumi, M. (1992) “Growth characteristics of microalgae in high-concentrations of CO2 gas: Effects of culture medium, trace components and impurities thereon.” Biochem Biotech. 34/35:681-692.

Negoro, M.; Hamasaki, K. A.; Ikuta, Y.; Makita, T.; Hirayama K.; Suzuki, S. (1993) “CO2 fixation by microalgae photosynthesis using actual flue gas discharged from a boiler.” Biochem Biotech. 39/40:643-653.

Usui, N.; Ikenouchi, M. (1997) “The biological CO2 fixation and utilization project by RITE. 1. Highly effective photobioreactor system.” Energy Conver. Mgmt. 38: Suppl. 487-492.