Hello. I am Sally, a new member of MATSURI. I am good at biology, but I am still a novice when it comes to environmental impact assessment and related activities.
This time, as a special edition of the diary, I would like to report on the online information sharing event "Latest Information on Biofuels in the United States", which was held on July 3, 2024 and was exclusive to MATSURI partners.
As many as 120 people participated in the online information sharing session, which provided useful information on the latest trends in "Bio x Environment x Business."
The information sharing session began when Sally saw the news that "In September 2023, the U.S. ethanol industry associations asked the U.S. government to use the latest GREET model figures for corn ethanol SAF, instead of the CORSIA model." (Ethanol Industry Associations Ask Treasury Secretary To Use GREET Model For Scientific Accuracy, September 14, 2023).
Honestly, I covered this news in MATSURI Diary 2. The MATSURI members-only page provides a detailed explanation of the differences between the models.
At the information sharing session, we delved into this news story and discussed how to quantitatively communicate the value of microalgae in order to develop the algae industry. Using this news story as a starting point, we summarized recent SAF trends in the United States and considered them from the perspective of the algae industry.
In the first half, Sally gave a talk on the "latest information on biofuels in the United States," explaining the latest policies and the current situation in which much of edible biomass is being used for fuel, and shared her thoughts from the perspective of the algae industry.
In the second half of the event, Sally, energy analyst Noriaki Ooba, and Junpei Nomura, Secretary General of the Japan Microalgae Technology Association, joined the discussion on what we should do to build an algae industry and future prospects, and then participated in a Q&A session with the participants.
During the question and answer session, many questions were asked, such as "What would the LCA look like if aviation fuel was made from algae?" and "What does the United States think about using edible biomass as fuel?", indicating the high level of interest in the energy situation among the partner companies.
Sally (left) looking a little nervous
To be honest, as Sally from MATSURI, I feel that we need to think carefully about what we should do as an algae industry in light of the big movement in the U.S. I also want to think deeply about how we can convey the excitement of the algae industry as it expands.
Based on the results of the survey conducted after the event, we are already considering holding a second online study session. We appreciate your continued support.
For more details on the first half, please visit the MATSURI members-only page!
