Achieving Carbon Neutrality in Waste and Resource Circulation

Achieving Carbon Neutrality in Waste and Resource Circulation

Project Summary

Budget

Up to 44.5 billion yen

CO2 Reduction Effect (World)

In 2030
Approximately 10.5 million tons/year
In 2050
Approximately 1.244 billion tons/year

Economic Effect (World)

In 2030
Approximately 0.5 trillion yen/year
In 2050
Approximately 5.2 trillion yen/year

Research and Development Targets

1. Development of waste incineration treatment technology based on CO2 separation and capture
Establish technology to achieve a stable capture rate of 90% or more of carbon contained in waste by 2030
2. Large-scale demonstration of high-efficiency pyrolysis treatment plant
Demonstration of the effectiveness of waste incineration facilities that meet one of the following by 2030 on a large scale in a real environment
  • Maximization of the effective carbon utilization rate in gasification (the utilization rate of carbon contained in waste is expected to be 80% for the system as a whole, while the utilization rate of carbon in waste into commercialized carbon such as ethanol is at least 27%)
  • Maximization of recovery rate of calorific value in the oil conversion (the system as a whole is expected to utilize 80% of the carbon contained in the waste, while the ratio of the calorific value recovered in bio-oil to the calorific value contained in the waste is at least 48%)
3. Development of technology for high-efficiency biomethane conversion, etc.
By 2030, establishment of technology to realize a decentralized regional treatment system that converts organic waste into biomethane and other resources that meet the following two points
  • Demonstration of methane fermentation biogas direct methanation at pilot scale (methane concentration 97% or more including refining)
  • Methane production rate of 50 NL/Lr-d or higher under low temperature (several dozen degrees) and low pressure (up to 0.8 MPa) methanation conditions

Approach to calculating the CO2 reduction effect and economic impact

CO2 Reduction Effect

CO2 reduction effect through increase in intermediate processing amount
  • The CO2 reduction effect is calculated as the difference between the reduction in methane emissions due to the decrease in landfill volume and the increase in CO2 emissions due to the increase in incineration volume, assuming that the increase in incineration/pyrolyzing and methane fermentation treatment due to the introduction of a CN-type carbon circulation plant will match the decrease in landfill volume
CO2 reduction effect of incineration and pyrolyzing facilities with CO2 separation and recovery technology
  • For 2030, the CO2 recovery amount is calculated assuming that the projects currently planned and in operation will be in operation in 2030
  • For 2050, the amount of heat treatment is calculated by multiplying the amount of general waste generated in the world in 2050 by the percentage of incineration treatment, and the amount of emission reductions is calculated when 90% of the CO2 emissions generated from the heat treatment is separated and recovered
CO2 reduction effect by replacing city gas with biomethane through methane fermentation + bio-methanation
  • The amount of methane produced is calculated by assuming the amount destined to methane fermentation and the prevalence of bio-methanation based on the literature

Economic Effect

Economic effect of incineration and pyrolyzing facilities with CO2 separation and recovery technology
  • For 2030, the economic effect is estimated using EPC unit price per annual processing volume of waste-to-energy facilities in Europe, based on the treatment volume of facilities assuming commercial operation begins by 2030. For 2050, it is calculated based on the amount of general waste incinerated in 2050.
  • Also, the calculation assumes that the technology will account for 100% of the incineration facilities that will be introduced in 2050.
Economic effect of methane fermentation facilities
  • For 2030, the economic effect is calculated using EPC unit price per annual processing amount of waste-to-energy facilities in Europe, based on the amount destined to biomethanation facilities in 2030. For 2050, it is based on the amount destined for biomethanation facilities, which will increase in number in 2050 (neither figure accounts for the global market share of Japanese manufacturers)