Southeast Asian countries are estimated to have successive economic growth, which due to their large population has a great impact on the world’s energy situation and the environment. On the other hand, most of them possess abundant renewable biomass resources. Japan has been accumulating many technologies in this field and therefore can contribute to the development of sustainable biomass utilization in Southeast Asian countries through collaborative research.
This project deals with the following primary themes:

1. Development of efficient bioethanol using tropical crops residues, such as cassava or sugarcane bagasse residues
2. Development of efficient bioethanol and bioplastic production technologies using waste old oil palm trunks (Fig. 1)

Identification of the socio-economic impacts of the increased exploitation of biomass on agriculture and farm villages in Southeast Asia. The outcomes of the project will also provide inputs for the construction of sustainable social systems and improvement of rural livelihood in Southeast Asia.