Abstract
Biomass is a renewable and carbon-neutral resource that is able to fix carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Recently, it has gained attention as an alternative fuel resource, from the standpoint of mitigation of global warming and conservation of fossil resources. In Japan, however, biomass resources are very limited and biomass utilization is seen to be a dispersive energy source in terms of sustainable production and utilization. Research and development on biomass requires more intensity and concentration in order to successfully convert biomass into energy that is highly efficient.
The Biomass Technology Research Center (BTRC) at AIST has been conducting studies for the technical development of biomass, as well as designing social systems using biomass utilization as a means for establishing sustainable societies, not only in Japan but throughout the world. BTRC conducts this research in terms of three important targets : 1) Ethanol production from woody biomass ; 2) The process of Biomass to Liquids (BTL) ; and 3) Studies on Biomass Total System.
