The EU-Japan Centre is pleased to start a new weekly service by publishing brief summary of the latest information from the Japanese governmental organizations & private companies/organizations. A couple of minutes reading to be informed about what is happening in Japan's policy, economy, EU-Japan relations, and innovation.
*Information is deemed correct at the time of release.
Idemitsu Kosan invests in Australian company producing SAF
Idemitsu Kosan announced on March 13 that it will invest in Jet Zero Australia, an Australian start-up company involved in SAF. They will cooperate in the procurement of raw materials and mass production technology for plant-based SAF. This is the first time that a Japanese company has invested in an overseas SAF company. Jet Zero Australia was founded in 2021 and is working on the mass production of SAF made from plant-based ethanol. The company plans to start operating a plant that will produce 100,000 kiloliters of SAF in the January-March period of 2027. Idemitsu is preparing for mass production of SAF using similar technology in Chiba Prefecture. It was determined that the company could cooperate in securing raw materials and providing plant operation know-how. The plant planned by Jet Zero Australia has also received investment from Australia's Qantas Airways and Europe's Airbus, and Idemitsu will collaborate in building the supply chain.
Idemitsu website:
https://www.idemitsu.com/en/news/2023/240313.html
Sumitomo Mitsui FL and TES enter storage battery recycling business with pole companies
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Lease (SMFL) announced on March 12 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore's TES to start a recycling business for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and other vehicles. They aim to build a factory in Japan in 2024 and process approximately 10,000 tons per year. First, they will start operating a factory that produces “black mass,'' which is made by crushing batteries into powder. All manufacturing plants in Japan generate approximately 13,000 tons of scrap annually, and the plant to be built is expected to have a processing capacity of 10,000 tons per year. Using TES's technology, it is possible to produce about 80% more black mass than conventional methods. For the time being, Black Mass will be sent to TES overseas factories, and the extracted nickel and other materials will be transported back to Japan. The recovered rare metals will be supplied to domestic battery manufacturers.
Offshore wind power generation expands into EEZ
On March 12, the government approved a bill to revise the Renewable Energy Maritime Utilization Act, which would expand the installation location of offshore wind power generation from the current territorial waters to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Taking advantage of Japan's advantage of being surrounded by the sea, it will expand the range of areas suitable for renewable energy and aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Based on the Renewable Energy Sea Area Utilization Act, the winning bidder can occupy the waters within Japan's territorial waters for up to 30 years. Currently, offshore wind turbines that are fixed to the seabed are the mainstream, but in the EEZ, floating wind turbines that can be installed even in deep waters are expected to become mainstream.
In anticipation of the spread of floating structures, the government will create a new system that will allow business operators to install power generation equipment for long periods of time even in EEZs. Compared to territorial waters, EEZs require a two-step process for businesses to obtain permission to use them. First, the business operator submits a draft of the offshore wind power installation area and implementation plan and receives provisional permission from the government. After that, the business operator and the government will hold a council that includes fishermen and other local stakeholders to provide explanations. If understanding is gained, the government will issue formal installation permission to the operator.
You Tube METI Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwv-fH8baZo
Private small rocket explodes and launch failure
The first small rocket developed by Tokyo venture company Space-one was launched from a rocket launch site in Wakayama Prefecture in the morning of March 13, but some trouble occurred shortly after and equipment onboard the aircraft was suspended. The rocket exploded and the launch failed. It is carrying a small government satellite that conducts empirical research on collecting information, and if successfully placed into orbit, it was attracting attention as it would be the first privately-operated vehicle in Japan. The plan was to put the satellite into orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 500 km in about 50 minutes, but the rocket exploded after climbing for about 5 seconds. The company is investigating the detailed cause by analyzing data sent from the rocket.
Space One website (in Japanese):
https://www.space-one.co.jp/news/news_20240313_02_01.pdf
Mitsui E&S succeeds in hydrogen combustion operation for the first time in the world in a large marine engine
On March 7, Mitsui E&S announced that, in collaboration with German MAN Energy Solutions SE, it has succeeded in hydrogen combustion operation in a large marine engine for the first time in the world. A marine two-stroke test engine with a cylinder diameter of 50 cm was fired with hydrogen. One of the test engine's four cylinders was modified for hydrogen combustion, and hydrogen was supplied and combusted. The test engine was able to operate at 100% load without any problems such as hydrogen leakage. Hydrogen fuel is easily ignited and requires appropriate combustion control. Hydrogen fuel provides 95% of the cylinder's heat, and a combustion pressure waveform comparable to that of other cylinders can be obtained. The company confirmed that it can stably burn hydrogen and provide a stable supply of high-pressure hydrogen based on the design of an existing engine. In the future, the company plans to increase the number of hydrogen combustion cylinders and increase the combustion capacity.
Mitsui E&S website:
https://www.mes.co.jp/english/press/2024/0307_002400.html
Published: September 2025
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Joint venture established in 1987 by the European Commission (DG GROW) and the Japanese Government (METI) for promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan.
