noteProject Overview
Industries in the food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector are expected to play multiple roles, including the provision of stable supplies of high-quality food, replenishment of the atmosphere and water sources, and promotion of biodiversity conservation through the appropriate management and conservation of croplands, forests, and oceans. Moreover, the amount of greenhouse gases captured and stored in areas such as croplands and forests reached 44.5 million tons in FY2020.
With a view to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries formulated its “Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems,” known as MeaDRI (Measures for Achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation) in May 2021. This strategy clarifies Japanese government policies intended to accelerate R&D and the commercialization of technologies, including those that; promote the use of biochar to capture and store carbon on croplands, promote the use of wood-based materials for the construction of high-rise buildings, and promote the use of seaweed beds to capture and store CO2 (the latter being an example of the “blue carbon” concept).
In this project, which focuses on the development of promising negative emissions technologies for CO2 capture and storage anticipated in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, emphasis will be placed on the promotion of ambitious R&D efforts that go beyond conventional ideas and technical limitations, targeting impactful issues that will lead to the creation of future growth industries.
Project Features
Development of technologies to realize and effectively utilize high-functional biochar and other materials
Technologies will be developed to realize and effectively utilize highly functional biochar that improves crop yields by approximately 20% and sustainably captures/stores about 3 tons of CO2 per hectare of cropland per year (equivalent to approximately 1.9 tons/hectare in terms of biochar volume). In addition, methods will be developed to objectively assess the “environmental value” of agricultural products cultivated through carbon capture and storage activities.
Development of wood-based isotropic large-scale cross-sectional structural members for the construction of high-rise buildings and other structures
Using domestic timber resources, this project aims to develop isotropic large-scale cross-sectional structural members which possess a span of eight meters, demonstrate fire resistance for two hours, and can be manufactured at a cost of no more than 100,000 JPY per cubic meter. In addition, the project will develop proposals to establish Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) specifications and general design methods for such members.
Development of technologies for constructing seaweed beds in support of blue carbon efforts
For the construction of large-scale seaweed farming systems, this project aims to develop base blocks that dissolve nutrient salts and possess a strength of 10-18 N/mm2 (the same range of strength demonstrated by conventional blocks), and seaweed transplant cartridges that weigh around 5 kg (approximately one-quarter the weight of conventional cartridges).
Project Summary
Budget
Up to 15.92 billion yen
CO2 Reduction Effect
- In 2030
- Approximately 530,000 tons/year
- In 2050
- Approximately 46.61 million tons/year
Economic Effect
- In 2030
- Approximately 54.4 billion yen
- In 2050
- Approximately 2 trillion yen
Research and Development Targets
By 2030
- Technologies will be developed to realize and effectively utilize high-functional biochar and other materials that improve crop yields by approximately 20% and sustainably capture and store CO2 on croplands.
- Methods will be established to objectively assess the “environmental value” of agricultural products cultivated through carbon capture and storage activities on croplands.
- Develop isotropic large-scale cross-sectional structural members which span eight meters and demonstrate fire resistance of two hours.
- Establish technology to manufacture at a cost of no more than 100,000 yen/m3.
- Develop proposals to establish Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) and general design methods for structural members developed under project.
- Develop base blocks that dissolve nutrient salts and possess strength of 10-18N/mm². Develop lightweight seaweed transplant cartridges that are approximately one-quarter the weight of conventional cartridges.
- Develop seaweed supply systems for construction and recovery of wide-area seaweed beds
Assumptions regarding estimates of CO2 reduction effect and economic effect
CO2 Reduction Effect
- Development of technologies to realize and effectively utilize high-functional biochar and other materials
In 2030: Estimates calculated on assumption that, in addition to the current level of CO2 capture and storage (5,000 tons/year) described in the inventory survey of greenhouse gases, the utilization of biochar is expected to increase by roughly 100 times as a result of government policies expected in the future.
In 2050: Annual estimates of biochar supply from recyclable biomass resources in rural areas have been used to estimate the domestic volume of CO2 capture and storage of 14.32 million tons. Moreover, assuming that the scale of biochar manufacturing plant operations exported overseas is at the same scale as biochar production carried out in Japan, the volume of CO2 capture and storage resulting from such export operations is also expected to total 14.32 million tons. - Development of isotropic large-scale cross-sectional structural members
In 2030: Structural members developed under this project are expected to be used in flooring measuring 50,000 square meters during the manufacturing demonstration period of up to 10 years. As a result of promoting the rejuvenation of forests through replanting efforts and thereby realizing 30,000 cubic meters of domestic timber resources (log equivalent), 25,000 tons/year of CO2 absorption capacity is expected to be restored to forests and 8,000 tons of CO2 are expected to be stored by flooring materials.
In 2050: Structural members developed under this project are expected to be used in 5 million square meters of flooring in newly built high-rise buildings and exported to China and other markets at the same volume as flooring used in Japan. On this basis, it is estimated that, since these countries possess at least 30 times the area for new buildings, new demand totaling 6 million m³/year (log equivalent) would be created for Japanese lumber. In addition, 4.91 million tons of CO2 absorption capacity would be restored to forests and 1.65 million tons of CO2 would be stored in high-rise and other buildings. - Development of technologies for constructing seaweed beds
In 2030: If 67.5 hectares of seaweed beds are constructed in demonstration ocean areas, it is estimated that CO2 fixation will total 290 tons.
In 2050: This technology is expected to restore 5% of the seaweed beds that previously died off worldwide by 2050, with an estimated CO2 fixation level of 11.41 million tons.
Economic Effect
- Development of technologies to realize and effectively utilize high-functional biochar and other materials
In 2030: If pilot activities are initiated in 10 municipalities, it is estimated that the economic impact related to the cost of constructing biochar plants, transportation of biochar, and utilization of biochar on croplands will total 51 billion yen.
In 2050: If the cultivation systems under high-functional biochar application developed under this project is disseminated throughout Japan, the economic impact resulting from the cost of constructing/maintaining production facilities and sales of microorganisms for adding biochar functionality is expected to total 844 billion yen/year. Moreover, if an equal number of manufacturing plants (approximately 40 plants/year) are exported overseas and high-functional biochar is disseminated at a level equivalent to 1% of the world’s croplands, the estimated economic impact is expected to total 684.6 billion yen/year. - Development of isotropic large-scale cross-sectional structural members
In 2030: The economic impact resulting from domestic sales is expected to total 1.65 billion yen/year, and the impact resulting from the expansion of reforested land, in line with increased supplies of domestic lumber, is expected to total 240 million yen.
In 2050: The economic impact resulting from domestic sales and exports is expected to total 330 billion yen/year, and the impact resulting from the expansion of reforested land, in line with increased supplies of domestic lumber, is expected to total 47.6 billion yen. - Development of technologies for constructing seaweed beds
In 2030: If technologies developed under this project are used to construct pilot seaweed beds in five fishing ports, the economic impact resulting from the manufacture and sale of seaweed cultivation systems is expected to total 1.5 billion yen.
In 2050: The economic impact resulting from the nationwide dissemination of seaweed cultivation systems, development of the production system for new types of cartridges, and the manufacture and sale of seaweed cultivation systems, is expected to total 121.3 billion yen.
Project Implementing Entities
[Research and Development 1]
Development of technologies to realize and effectively utilize high-functional biochar and other materials
- Contents 1: Development of high-functional biochar, etc.
- Contents 2: Demonstration, evaluation, etc., of CO2 storage effect by high-functional biochar, etc.
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Establishment of a system for production and application of high-functional biochar using agricultural by-products |
|
[Research and Development 2]
Development of wood-based isotropic large-scale cross-sectional structural members for the construction of high-rise buildings and other structures
- Contents 1: Development of elemental technology for manufacturing of isotropic large-sectional members
- Contents 2: Establishment of technology for continuous manufacturing of isotropic large-sectional members
- Contents 3: Performance evaluation and design method proposals for standardizing and notifying isotropic large-sectional members
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Development of wood-based large-scale isotropic cross-sectional structural members for the construction of high-rise buildings and other structures |
|
[Research and Development 3]
Development of technologies for constructing seaweed beds in support of blue carbon efforts
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Project to expand blue carbon ecosystems through seaweed banks utilizing fishing ports |
|