Takenaka to build offshore biofuel plant

Takenaka Corp. and Japanese companies NEC Corp., Yokogawa Electric Corp. and Yaskawa Electric Corp., plan to collaborate to build an offshore pilot plant that aims to produce algae that will absorb carbon dioxide and produce biofuel in the process. Takao Kashiwagi, a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and six other people from the government, business and academic sectors will set up a foundation in April 2011 for the project. The effort aims to use the ocean more effectively for energy production, which is less developed than land-based production, as well as use algae and other marine life to produce fuel and other products. (December 27, 2010)