US vows to supply green-fuel-laggard Japan with bioethanol

U.S. officials are touting bioethanol in Japan, which trails other nations on using the green fuel made from corn and other crops.

The U.S. is a top grower of corn, and an embassy official said the U.S. would be “a reliable supplier” of bioethanol.

“American ethanol is a powerful tool for Japan to address climate change, support consumers facing high prices and strengthen energy security,” Aaron Forsberg, minister for economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy, said at a conference center in Tokyo.

Cooperation on biofuel between the U.S. and Japan is part of a larger partnership between President Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in defense, technology and climate change.

CANDACE OWENS, TUCKER CARLSON RIP THE LEFT’S GREEN AGENDA: ‘SELLING FEAR FOR THEIR OWN POWER’

A workshop Wednesday in Tokyo provided an opportunity for Japanese government, academics and industry representatives to learn more about bioethanol from American experts.

Bioethanol can be fuel for vehicles and planes and offers a cleaner alternative to petroleum.

MARC THIESSEN: IT’S A ‘DIRTY LITTLE SECRET’ DEMOCRATS WANT HIGH GAS PRICES TO ‘GET US TO GIVE UP FOSSIL FUELS’

When compared to countries like the U.S and Brazil, where bioethanol is commonly used, Japan is playing catch-up. The need for alternative fuels has grown more pressing with the war in Ukraine and worries about rising oil prices and climate change.

Japan imports almost all their oil, as well as its bioethanol. Japan has denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but has yet to eliminate its Russian oil imports, as it has pledged.

FIVE REASONS WHY RUSSIA IS LIKELY BEHIND THE NORD STREAM INDUSTRIAL SABOTAGE

“Japan has set an important goal to be carbon neutral by 2050,” Yuki Sadamitsu, director-general of the Natural Resources and Fuel Department at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, told the workshop.

Boosting bioethanol use will be crucial in realizing that goal, Sadamitsu added.

UK FRIGATE JOINS NORWEGIAN NAVY SHIPS GUARDING NORTH SEA PIPELINES

Forsberg noted Japan ranked among the lowest in the world in its rate of blending ethanol with gasoline, at about 1.7%. Forsberg urged Japan to boost that to 3%, noting there was “ample room to grow.”

The U.S. can show how to make the blend while maintaining vehicle compatibility and discuss costs and benefits, as well as providing a steady supply, he said.

PETE BUTTIGIEG: WE WILL BE PROUD WHEN AMERICA ‘LEADS THE WAY’ INTO EV FUTURE

“As Japan updates its transport biofuel policy for the next several years, we look forward to sharing our experience of expanding the use of biofuels,” said Forsberg.