Honda to Build New Cellulosic Ethanol R&D Facility to Accelerate Commercialization

26 February 2009

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will build a new research facility to work toward the establishment and practical application of bioethanol production technology from non-edible cellulosic material such as the stems and leaves of plants.

Honda is continuing its collaborative research on bioethanol production technology with RITE (Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth) which began in 2006 (earlier post). Honda has been conducting research on the bio-ethanol conversion process using an experimental plant built within the Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Fundamental Technology Research Center (Wako, Saitama) since April 2007.

The RITE-Honda cellulosic ethanol process uses genetically engineered Coyrnebacterium glutamicum to produce ethanol from mixed sugars. In November 2008, the team won the 18^th Nikkei Global Environment Technology Award’s Grand Prize for its work.

In order to move toward practical application of the technology, Honda decided to build a new facility as it became necessary to conduct a research using a large-scale experimental facility which enables more accurate evaluations.

The new Kazusa-branch facility of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Fundamental Technology Research Center, will be built within the Kazusa Akademia Park (in Kisarazu, Chiba). Honda plans to build a single 1,050 m² building as a testing facility on the 5,000 m₂ lot. The construction is scheduled to begin in April 2009, with the goal to begin operations in November 2009.

Resources

• RITE Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Group publications