Biofuels are in the news in Japan.

A Japanese research group is claiming a first – a cleaner/greener production of biodiesel fuel – the “non-catalytic superheated methanol method.”

“At a pilot plant the group was able to continuously produce 400L of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), a biodiesel fuel, out of 500L of raw material oil every day.” They also succeeded in producing FAME from vegetable oil (new oil) and waste edible oil in their tests.

The current method – the methyl esterification:

  1. used a complicated refining process which was required to remove side products
  2. required repeated cleaning resulting in multiple processes and a large amount of waste water
  3. required repeated cleaning to improve the purity of the product also wasting water

However, the new method :

  1. does not require a catalyst
  2. creates virtually no waste water or liquid.

Image courtesy of griffs0000

Meanwhile, JAL (Japan Airlines) will test biofuels in one of its airliners; 50% biofuel and 50% traditional Jet-A jet (kerosene). It’s “a mixture of three second-generation biofuel feedstocks: camelina (84%), jatropha (under 16%), and algae (under 1%).” The test flight will have JAL staff only, no passengers.

Please be seated while we drink our fuel and fly it, too.