2007 RITE International Symposium

- Technologies for mitigating global warming and the role of Japan -

• Theme: Technologies for mitigating global warming and the role of Japan
• Date: Thursday, 18 January 2007 10:00-17:30
• Venue: Shinagawa Intercity Hall
• Organized by RITE (Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth)
  Co-organized by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization)
  Supported by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
                        SCEJ (The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan)
                        JSER (Japan Society of Energy and Resources)
                        JIE (The Japan Institute of Energy)
                        JSBBA (Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry)
  
• Number of participants: 420

Summary

In 2005, the Kyoto protocol came into effect with the goal of curbing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Innovative technologies are now more than ever urgently needed for aggressively addressing global warming issues, particularly via carbon dioxide emission reduction.

The various scientific seminars held at the Symposium demonstrated that the development of commercial technologies to address the need to reduce CO₂, have made steady progress in recent years, mainly at the level of the Japanese industrial sector. Moreover, the industrial concept "Biorefinery" is now actively explored worldwide for accelerating carbon recycling using biomass as a new global warming mitigation paradigm. In addition, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) at point of emission, and notably at power stations, is increasingly being commercialized on an international scale.

In this Symposium, the newest approaches to industrial R&D, "Biorefinery", and CCS were introduced by the foremost researchers in the world. Delegates who gathered at the venue and openly exchanged their opinions and ideas, included numerous representatives, not only from domestic industrial, governmental, and academic sectors, but also from several foreign embassies, thus paving the way for successful multi-level interactions and collaborations.

Presentations (all rights reserved)

Keynote speech
• Energy growth and climate change: the next fifty years and beyond
  Mark Levine
  Division Director, Environmental Energy Technologies
  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  
  Keywords: Economic growth and energy consumption, Improvement of the energy efficiency in China, Future issues about oil supply, Effect of climate change, Solution to the energy problems
  
  

Japanese industrial technologies for GHG reduction

• Toyota's challenge for energy efficiency improvement in automobiles
  Shigeo Furuno
  General Manager, Power Train Engineering Division 2
  Toyota Motor Corporation
  
  Keywords: Automotive technologies and CO₂ reduction, Internal combustion engine, Alternative fuels, Fuel cell, Weight saving, Hybrid system, Hybrid technology, Improvement of Traffic Situations (ITS etc.)
  
  
• Challenges for GHG reduction in steel industry
  Toru Ono
  Senior Manager of Technical Administration and Planning Division
  Group Leader of Energy Technical Planning
  Nippon Steel Corporation
  
  Keywords: Voluntary Action Plan, Energy-Saving Technologies, Utilization of Waste Materials, Challenges for the Future, International Collaborations

"Biorefinery" as technology for global warming mitigation

• Biofuel technologies in the United States
  F. Blaine Metting
  Manager, Biological & Environmental Sciences
  Fundamental Science Directorate
  Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  
  Keywords: U.S. biofuels goal and current activities, Key issues for the cost reduction of bioethanol production and the importance of cellulose utilization
  
  
• Biofuel technologies of RITE
  Hideaki Yukawa
  Chief Researcher, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth
  
  Keywords: Technical barriers of ethanol production from cellulose, Application of RITE strain to ethanol production from cellulose, Overview of biofuel R&D by RITE, Development of butanol production process
  
  

CO₂ geological storage
• European perspective on CCS through Norwegian commercial projects
  Olav Kaarstad
  CO₂-issues Manager, Statoil ASA
  
  Keywords: Norway and Japan in the international discussion of climate change mitigation, The potential of CO₂ geological storage and current activities, Statoil CCS projects, Economic efficiency of CCS
  
  
• Japanese achievement in CO₂ geological storage and future contribution
  Takashi Ohsumi
  Chief Researcher, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth
  
  Keywords: Japanese history of the development of CO₂ geological storage technologies, The achievements in Nagaoka project, The potential of aquifer storage in Japan, Recent discussions on the London convention and protocol

Closing speech
• Japan's strategy for mitigating climate change
  Yoichi Kaya
  Director-General, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth
  
  Keywords: Kyoto protocol target and current state of Japan, Effective utilization of energy, The role of nuclear energy, Key issues of renewable energy

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