Idemitsu to mass produce biobutanol

Idemitsu Kosan Co. and the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) will collaborate to develop a method of mass-producing biobutanol. Biobutanol is created from rice straw, corn stalks and other inedible vegetable matter that is converted into sugar which would be fermented by a bacteria engineered by RITE for it to become biobutanol. The partners believe that mass producing this biofuel will reduce the price to ¥30-40 (US$0.35-0.47) a liter, making it an affordable alternative to gas and petrochemicals. The partners aim to build a test plant around 2013 and begin commercial production around 2020. (August 14, 2010)