Biofuel produced from paddy rice launched in Niigata

A ceremony to celebrate the launch of the world’s first biofuel produced from paddy rice was held at a gas station in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations Zennoh (JA Zennoh) has started sales of the bio-fuel, which is a mixture of gasoline and bioethanol made from rice for animal feed. An annual ethanol production of about 1,000 kiloliters is expected from some 2,250 tons of brown rice grown in Niigata, which will be blended with gasoline at a ratio of up to 3%. JA Zennoh is expecting annual sales of about 33,000 kiloliters of the biofuel. (July 18, 2009)