JIRCAS participated in the "Green Food System EXPO" hosted by the Japan Management Association, held at Tokyo Big Sight from Tuesday, March 5 to Friday, March 8, 2024. This event serves as a platform to promote the food value chain and sustainable environment.

During the expo, JIRCAS presented its research activities and results focused on biomass energy. Specifically, JIRCAS is engaged in research on microbial saccharification technology using underutilized biomass from the oil palm industry and other sectors in Southeast Asia. The exhibition featured research results from the project Development of carbon recycling technologies to address global issues caused by agricultural waste and the SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) project on Sustainable Replanting of Oil Palm by Adding Value to Old Oil Palm Trunk through Scientific and Technological Innovation. In addition, IHI Corporation, which is collaborating with JIRCAS on these projects, also presented its exhibit.

The microbial saccharification technology developed by IHI is a cutting-edge environmental innovation that promotes decarbonization and upcycling. This technology converts fibrous materials such as cellulose and hemicellulose into sugars and organic acids using saccharification bacteria without the use of enzymes (cellulase). When combined with IHI Corporation's anaerobic wastewater treatment system (IC Reactor), it enables higher biogas production and faster treatment processes.

Over the course of the four-day event, the number of visitors reached 76,183 (including concurrent exhibitions). There has been a growing interest and demand for high-efficiency biogas production using microbial saccharification technology. This technology contributes to the realization of a low-carbon society by (1) reducing the burden of waste disposal, (2) efficiently supplying electricity through biogas power generation, and (3) achieving zero emissions.

We sincerely thank all of you who visited our booth during the exhibition. Your interest and support are invaluable as we continue to advance sustainable biomass energy solutions.

• Development of Cellulose Saccharification Technology Using Microorganism Culture Only―Microbial saccharification method reduces the cost of saccharification enzymes to zero―(June 2, 2022 Press Release)
• 【Challenge to Next-Generation Environmental Technology】Microbial Saccharification and Methane Fermentation Technology  IHI × JIRCAS  (YouTube video)