PAJ questions Japan’s mid-term ethanol target

Petroleum Association of Japan President Tembo Akihiko, who is also president of Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., expressed concerns over the industry’s ability to commit to a government proposal to expand the introduction of biofuel use for the transport sector. The petroleum industry is preparing for a biofuel introduction of 210,000 kiloliters (kl) of crude oil equivalent; however, Tembo said oil companies would be unable to commit to undertaking 500,000 kl without any means to procure supplies. The Japanese government had earlier proposed a mid-term target of two million kiloliters (kl) per year (kpy) or 12.58 million barrels per year (bpy) crude oil equivalent of ethanol by 2020. (April 17/ May 14, 2009)