After several countries, Japan has also joined the biofuel bandwagon. The country is intending to introduce biofuel alternatives equivalent to 132 Million Gallons of gasoline by 2010 to comply with its CO2 reduction obligation.

The news published on upiasiaonline reported the Japanese government’s intention of introducing biofuel alternatives equivalent to 132 Million Gallons of gasoline by 2010 to fulfill its obligation to lower CO2 emissions by 6% by 2012 to offset global warming.

Experimentation with new biofuel is prompted by Japan’s quest for substantial reduction in CO2 emissions. Japan’s domestic biofuel production, mainly from edible materials, remains a distant dream for Japan. But the encouraging experimentation using new materials like scrap wood and seaweed is gaining attention. 5 Billion Gallons of bioethanol is anticipated to be yielded from the process in 3-5 years

Japan’s main purpose for initiating this move is environment cleanliness. As biofuels are practically carbon neutral, they help in cleaning the environment. Production of Japan’s own fuel will lead to employment opportunities and lowers trade deficit. Production of biofuels is done from different varieties of biomass, making the supply nearly unlimited.

The Japan’s Institute of Energy Economics recently analyzed in a study that Japan’s yearly consumption of gasoline at almost 16000 Million Gallons could be shifted to biofuels with 3% bioethanol costing around US$ 0.725 Billion. The result would be a reduction in CO2 emission by five million tons annually, at par with approximately 2% of total emissions from the nation’s transportation sector. Japan’s current annual domestic production of bioethanol is just 8,000 Gallons.

Biofuel, in particular ethanol, is unrivalled by other fuels in terms of advantages. It differs from crude oil in its supply being renewable and non-depleted. These domestic biofuel alternatives contribute to reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as well as the country’s heavy dependence on overseas energy supplies.

The association’s hope is to buy 95 Million Gallons of biofuels or 10% of the projected volumes of globally-traded biofuels before the ethanol-induced gasoline is ready for nationwide marketing in 2010.

The research analyst at RNCOS opines that with ethanol capable of producing about one third CO2 than gasoline, the result would be a substantial reduction in the overall CO2 in Japan. This would prove beneficial for the Japanese transportation industry. It would also fuel further growth in the booming biofuel industry in Japan.