We Are Tomodachi Summer 2018

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H CC OHH HHCOCOHHH O! !ChallengesGarbageCollection Gasification Gas Purification Gas→Ethanol Reaction ProductUse “as is” inunsorted stateExistingtechnologyLanzaTech’s Proprietary MicrobesEthanolPoints ofdevelopment(1)Convert miscellaneousgarbage into singleraw material(2)Removal andrefining ofgas contaminants(3)Production technologythat can be adjusted towithstand large fluctuationsNew technology established bySEKISUI CHEMICALFluctuation in gas constituentsand compositionMiscellaneous andhighly heterogeneous21[1] The World Bank, “Solid Waste Management” (March 27, 2018).[2] Ministry of Environment, “Report on the Investigation into the Actual Recycling of Waste Materials and Transport of Waste Materials over Wide Areas” (2016)The new technology established by SEKISUI CHEMICALEthanol generated from combustible garbage with support from LanzaTech, USA offers potential as another income stream for governments.150 trillion kilocalories a year, sothis is where Koma and his teamdecided to shift their attention.The technology for convertingburnable trash into gas is wellestablished in Japan, but this wasteincludes a mix of organics, plastics,and paper products that make thecomponents unstable, inconsistent,and full of impurities. With typicalcatalysts, recycling these fossilresources has been extremely diffi cult,but Koma and his team discoveredthat microorganisms are likelycandidates for replacement catalystsdue to their compatibility withJapan’s burnable garbage.This led them to partner withAmerican biotech leader LanzaTech,whose extensive expertise in microbebasedcarbon conversion enabledKoma’s project to advance rapidly.“The microbes we’re working withhave existed on earth since timeimmemorial, and this is a safetechnology,” Koma assures us. “Thesemicrobes produce ethanol throughthe same fermentation process weuse to make drinking alcohol.”On occasion, the volatile gassesreleased by the process wouldslow fermentation or even kill thebacteria off. This problem inspiredSEKISUI CHEMICAL to developa system for removing impuritiesfrom the gas, providing an idealenvironment for the workingmicrobes. In 2014, pilot plantoperations commenced at theSaitama disposal treatment facilitymanaged by ORIX EnvironmentalResources Management Corporation.“There are 1,200 garbage incineratorsin Japan,” SEKISUI CHEMICAL’sBR Promotion Group Section ChiefShinichi Tsukagawa tells us, “Oncewe have these recycling plantsoperating alongside waste disposalfacilities and incinerators, we’ll beable to realize our vision of producingraw materials locally using localwaste as feedstock.”This new technology is efficienta n d m o r e p r o f i t a b l e t h a nconventional technology, and sincethe 2017 press release, governmentsand businesses around the worldhave inquired about the system.Also, several European and Asiancountries have expressed interest inbuilding their own plants. SEKISUICHEMICAL is bringing a newvision of total resource recyclingto the world as operations at thefirst plant commence in 2019.