法人別リリース

CHITOSE Group Obtains Funding from Japanese Government-affiliated NEDO for Green Innovation Fund...

CHITOSE Group — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0900

KAWASAKI, Japan and SINGAPORE, Apr. 12, 2023 /Kyodo JBN/ --
CHITOSE Group (CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD.)
CHITOSE Group Obtains Funding from Japanese Government-affiliated NEDO
for Green Innovation Fund of USD400M Range

Chitose Laboratory Corp., the core company of the CHITOSE Group (hereinafter "CHITOSE"), has won funding from a Japanese government-affiliated entity for a project on the self-proposed theme of "Building a global industry originating in Japan based on the direct use of CO2 through photosynthesis" for the "Green Innovation Fund Project (hereinafter "GI Fund"): Promotion of Carbon Recycling Using CO2 from Biomanufacturing Technology as a Direct Raw Material." CHITOSE has been selected as a prospective implementing agency for this theme by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter "NEDO"). The total project cost is approximately USD400 million, and the implementation period is scheduled from FY2023 to FY2030.

Project partners' logos: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107621/202304054622/_prw_PI1fl_MS4l1pKj.jpg

CHITOSE is collaborating with other companies/organizations in various positions and industries through the "MATSURI" (meaning "festival" in Japanese) project to build a new algae-based industry to replace the petroleum-based industry. CHITOSE is working on the development of bio-products, the construction of the world's largest 5-hectare microalgae production facility and the demonstration of long-term large-scale production in Malaysia (*).

Under the GI Fund project theme, for which CHITOSE has been selected as a prospective implementing agency, it will develop the algae production technology on a 100 ha production scale with a focus on both economic rationality and environmental sustainability, and on the development of a wide range of applications such as chemical products, toiletry, fuels, feeds and foods using microalgal biomass produced directly from CO2 as a raw material. Through these business activities, CHITOSE will promote the establishment of a global algae-based industry originating from Japan, and contribute to the realization of zero carbon emission by 2050 as advocated by the Japanese government.

This project will be implemented with 34 partner companies of the MATSURI project operated by CHITOSE, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Hiroshima University, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagoya University, and Institute of Microalgal Technology, Japan (IMAT). In addition, CHITOSE will start raising private funds in order to accelerate this project through the GI Fund.

MATSURI partners' enthusiasm and expectations for this project
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202304054622-O1-SkgkNm4n.pdf

About the commissioned and subsidized project which has been adopted
- Business/project name:
Green Innovation Fund Project (GI Fund): Promotion of Carbon Recycling Using CO2 from Biomanufacturing Technology as a Direct Raw Material

- Adopted theme:
Building a global industry originating in Japan based on the direct use of CO2 through photosynthesis

- Theme overview:
Using microalgae, with sunlight as an energy source and CO2 as a direct feedstock, the commercial production of chemicals such as bioplastics and functional materials, fuels, foods and feeds, with the aim of realizing zero carbon emission by 2050.

- NEDO disclosure of information on this matter
Details of the public call: https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/EF2_100190.html (Japanese)
Adoption announcement: https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/EF3_100190.html (Japanese)
Press release on the adoption: https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101619.html (Japanese)

* Commissioned by NEDO to Chitose Laboratory Corp. since 2020
- Press release on adoption: https://chitose-bio.com/jp/news/3514/ (Japanese)
- Press release on the start of operation: https://chitose-bio.com/jp/news/5124/ (Japanese)

About MATSURI
The MATSURI project aims towards the establishment of an advanced microalgae-based industry. CHITOSE has considerable expertise in large-scale microalgae production technologies, and is leading the MATSURI project collaborating with Japanese progressive enterprises. As what MATSURI means in Japanese, CHITOSE keeps leading a festival to develop a sustainable society.

Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107621/202304054622/_prw_PI2fl_oI14u9jJ.jpg

Video: A story with a heart for the future, the MATSURI project for building the "algae industry": The world's largest microalgae production facility will accelerate from here.
https://matsuri.chitose-bio.com/pages/gallery

Website: https://matsuri-partners.chitose-bio.com/en

About CHITOSE Group
CHITOSE Group is a family of biotechnology companies leading the global bioeconomy. To live in abundance beyond the next millennium using the ability of living things, CHITOSE pursues the possibilities of biotechnology through technological and business development collaborating with its business partners all over the world.

Website: https://chitose-bio.com/

About CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD. (head office that oversees entire Group)
Established in October, 2011
Head Office located in Singapore
CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.

About Chitose Laboratory Corp. (responsible for the project)
Established in November, 2002
Head Office located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.
COO: Rie KUGIMIYA

CHITOSE Group, Leading Company of "MATSURI" Project, Starts Operating World’s Largest Microalgae...

CHITOSE Group — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0900

KAWASAKI, Japan and SINGAPORE, Mar. 28, 2023 /Kyodo JBN/ --
CHITOSE Group (CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD.)
CHITOSE Group, Leading Company of "MATSURI" Project,
Starts Operating World’s Largest Microalgae Production Facility

CHITOSE Group (hereinafter "CHITOSE"), an entity formed by biotechnology startups managed by CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD. based in Japan and Singapore, announced on March 28 that the construction of a 5-hectare microalgae production facility called "CHITOSE Carbon Capture Central (hereinafter 'C4')" was completed and the production of microalgae has been started in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. CHITOSE plans to establish the stable, continuous, and large-scale production of microalgae. CHITOSE’s production technology aims at proceeding with the development of applications for a wide range of industrial materials, including fuels and plastics. This project is funded by the Japanese government-funded New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) (*1).

Photo1: C4's facility: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107621/202303174016/_prw_PI1fl_ZXcgff2s.jpg

Long version (2:45): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRtqAb07K-0
Short version (0:40): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5l0LaaC7k8

CHITOSE aims for zero carbon emission through the photoautotrophic microalgae production and through the MATSURI (meaning "festival" in Japanese) project, which is designed to establish a microalgae-based industry replacing the petroleum-based industry (*2). At the same time, CHITOSE aims at developing diverse products used in daily life from microalgae, including fuels, plastics, foods and toiletry, in collaboration with its business partners. C4 is expected to demonstrate the efficient and scalable production of microalgal biomass (utilizing photobioreactor technologies). At C4, gas exhausted from a neighboring coal-fired power plant is used as a carbon source, and the produced microalgal biomass will be used for sustainable production of SAF and other products. C4 is expected to produce 350 dry tons of microalgal biomass per year, fixing 700 tons of CO2 per year.

Towards 2030, CHITOSE is planning to expand the production to 2,000 ha and is currently in the process of raising funds for this plan. In algae production on a scale of 2,000 ha, approximately 140,000 dry tons of microalgal dry-biomass per year will be produced, and the production cost will be less than USD2.5 per kg biomass. Hence, the produced microalgal biomass will be used as a raw material for various products. Further, CHITOSE is aiming to expand the production to over 10,000,000 ha, which is approximately 1/20 of the world’s maize-harvested area and will produce 700 million dry tons of microalgal biomass annually. The production cost will potentially fall to less than USD0.5 per kg biomass. CHITOSE will continue to promote zero carbon emission and realize a sustainable society.

Notes:
(*1) Adopted as a Green Innovation Fund project for development of bio-jet fuel production technology, development of microalgae base technology, and R&D of power plant exhaust gas and Flexible plastic film-type photos under the outdoor environment of tropical climate

(*2) Autotrophic and heterotrophic production
In autotrophic production based on photosynthesis, sunlight and inorganic carbon, CO2, are used as energy and carbon sources, respectively. Autotrophic production, therefore, is considered as sustainable energy/material production. In heterotrophic production, organic compounds such as sugars are used as both energy and carbon sources. Although the system is able to offer stable production, it is considered as a CO2-emitting conversion process.

- C4's grand opening
Date: 9:00-10:00, Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Venue: C4 in Kuching, Sarawak State, Malaysia
Outline: C4-opening ceremony to be attended by government officials from Sarawak State and Japan; C4 site tour also to be organized by CHITOSE

- C4-launching ceremony
Date: 10:30-13:30, Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Venue: C4 in Kuching, Sarawak State, Malaysia
Outline: C4-launching ceremony with the Premier of Sarawak, local partners and MATSURI partners from Japan and a networking event and a C4 site tour organized by CHITOSE

Related press release: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202303174016-O1-yVaKx2NF.pdf

About MATSURI
The MATSURI project aims towards the establishment of an advanced microalgae-based industry. CHITOSE has considerable expertise in large-scale microalgae production technologies, and is leading the MATSURI project collaborating with Japanese progressive enterprises. As what MATSURI means in Japanese, CHITOSE keeps leading a festival to develop a sustainable society.

Photo2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107621/202303174016/_prw_PI2fl_Qey2HEwS.jpg

https://matsuri.chitose-bio.com/
MATSURI Gallery: https://matsuri.chitose-bio.com/pages/gallery

About CHITOSE Group
CHITOSE Group is a family of biotechnology companies leading the global bioeconomy. To live in abundance beyond the next millennium using the ability of living things, CHITOSE pursues the possibilities of biotechnology through technological and business development collaborating with its business partners all over the world.

https://chitose-bio.com/

About CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD. (head office that oversees entire Group)
Established in October, 2011
Head Office located in Singapore
CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.

About CHITOSE Laboratory Corp. (responsible for the project)
Established in November, 2002
Head Office located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.
COO: Rie KUGIMIYA