US groups eye growing bioethanol market in Japan

The Japanese government has recently become more interested in using bioethanol for the production of sustainable fuel for air travel.
In response, the US Grains Council (USGC) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted a conference, US Ethanol for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Beyond to build on the burgeoning biofuel consumption in the country.
USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand travelled to Tokyo for the event that attracted more than 90 key Japanese government officials, academic researchers, nonprofit groups and other influential industry leaders.
“I feel it’s important for me to speak here and continue to show support for the growing demand for SAF in Japan,” LeGrand said.
“We can all see the incredible decarbonisation effects of blending bioethanol into gasoline for road vehicles, and reducing the emissions of air travel is the next step we can take in creating a healthier and more sustainable future for transit.”
Before the conference, LeGrand and USGC Japan director Tommy Hamamoto took part in a series of meetings with officials and policymakers, including sessions with representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) specialists working at the US Embassy in Tokyo.
LeGrand delivered the opening remarks for the conference to present the potential of US corn bioethanol for SAF production, along with Raymond Greene, deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Tokyo; Akira Amari, member of the Japanese House of Representatives; and Johan Ullman, managing director at Marquis Energy Global.
“All of the event participants and industry leaders we met showed tremendous interest in SAF and the overall sustainability efforts of the US bioethanol value chain,” Hamamoto said. “US corn production is stronger than ever and is ready to support Japan and other countries in their transition to more environmentally-friendly transit options.”