An employee pours used oil into a container at a food outlet in Nagoya, Japan operated by Sagami Holdings Co. THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN
Efforts to reuse cooking oil and food waste as biofuel are spreading among Japan’s restaurant chains and food manufacturers. In addition to being an effective way to recycle cooking waste, such efforts are gaining attention as a means of decarbonising delivery and production processes.
Nagoya-based food chain operator Sagami Holdings Co has launched an initiative in which it refines waste oil from deep-fat fryers into bio diesel fuel for transportation trucks. The company started the initiative at 10 outlets in Kyoto and Osaka prefectures, with the cooperation of a Kyoto-based biofuel manufacturer and distributor, and local transportation operators.
It uses diesel fuel mixed with five per cent biofuel, which can be used directly in standard trucks. It will first dilute the fuel to less than five per cent, and gradually increase the percentage while assessing the influence on engine and mileage.
Sagami Holdings operates approximately 250 outlets nationwide and collects 350 tonnes of waste oil annually. The company estimates that it would be able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.8 tonnes per month if biofuels were introduced throughout its entire delivery network.
“If the use of biofuels becomes widespread, the number of refuelling points will increase, leading to more significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions,” said Katsuma Kurebayashi, a deputy manager of Sagami Management Support Co, a subsidiary of Sagami Holdings.
This year, Nagoya-based Pasco Shikishima Corp plans to launch an initiative to reuse waste from the bread manufacturing process, such as bread crust, to produce bio-coke, a biomass fuel developed by Kindai University.
The company will examine the feasibility of using the next-generation green fuel to replace the gas it uses to power boilers in the fermentation and steaming processes.
The company produces about 30,000 tonnes of food waste per year. “It will be used as a recycling resource in our factories,” the firm said.
Convenience store chain FamilyMart Co is also promoting an initiative to collect used cooking oil from six outlets in Saga for reuse as fuel for buses and garbage collection trucks that operate in the city.
“We’re considering introducing the system for our delivery vehicles in the future,” a Family Mart official said.
The Nisshin Oillio Group Ltd also reuses cooking oil from the company’s product development process as fuel for its in-house fire trucks.
Last year, Tokyo Clear Centre, a waste disposal service provider in Tokyo, began using biofuel in its food waste collection vehicles. The company recycles cooking oil used in the process of converting food waste into animal feed.
Euglena Co, which supplies biofuel to Nisshin Oillio Group and Tokyo Clear Centre, said: “We are receiving more and more inquiries every month.”
Biofuels are rapidly emerging as a viable decarbonisation measure amid growing interest in efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Many manufacturers and transportation companies are exploring the use of biofuels because they can reduce carbon dioxide emissions while using conventional internal combustion engines.
Last month, Central Japan Railway Co (JR Tokai) refuelled its new HC85 series trains with biofuel and conducted test runs.
“It allows us to confirm performance without making major changes to the engine,” said JR Tokai president Shin Kaneko, highlighting the advantages of biofuel over options such as batteries and hydrogen fuel.
Mazda Motor Corp and Euglena are working on the development of a next-generation biofuel made from euglena and waste cooking oil.
According to estimates by Yano Research Institute Ltd, the domestic market for biomass energy including biofuels will more than double over the next 15 years from 670 billion yen ($5.5 billion) in fiscal 2020 to 1.72 trillion yen in fiscal 2035.
THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN (JAPAN)/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
