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Recent trends and future perspectives of biofuel production in Asia

Biofuels can be instrumental in revitalizing and improving livelihoods in rural areas. Price signals of producing biofuel crops

to farmers could significantly increase both yields and incomes, securing real, long-term poverty reduction in developing countries that have high dependence on agriculture. However, if too much ‘first generation’ biofuel is made from these ‘food’ crops, food prices could rise, food insecurity could occur, and biodiversity might be threatened. Moreover, where appropriate conditions are not in place, the rapid spread of food crop-based biofuel production may result in poorer groups losing access to the land on which they depend. To cope with the aforementioned problems, government policies and various innovative technologies have been developed to promote and improve the

efficiency and quality of biofuel production. The workshop primarily focused on

technical challenges in the first-, and second-generations’, and microalgae-based biofuel production. It brought together leading scientists in efficient biomass decomposition and fermentation, and high-performance biomass conversion processes for biofuel production; and concerned researchers from academia, agriculture, industry and/or national laboratories in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. The participants exchanged ideas on the current state and future perspectives of the art and define the most important technical challenges and research activities that must be addressed to hasten the expansion of second-generation and microalgae based biofuels industry.

The Bangkok workshop on biofuel production was participated in by 15 speakers from 10 countries. The delegates exchanged ideas on the current state and future perspectives of the biofuels industry in the region

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Major findings and recommendations:• Create and promote models for

policymaking based on other successful engagements on biofuel production and utilization from other countries;

• Enhance collaboration among biofuel industry players in order to collectively seek solutions to current technical problems and concerns;

• Encourage the development of research on cultivar improvement and feedstock management;

• Educate local people on biomass energy and biofuel production;

• Encourage actual demonstrations of biofuel and biomass production so that farmers can see for themselves the benefits of biofuel technologies;

• Continue to push for further studies on low cost biofuel production; and

• Encourage collaborative work among research institutions on finding the suitable tree species for biofuel production and biomass use.

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Benefits and risks of genetically modified crops in Asia

Held in Bangkok, Thailand, 28 October to 01 November 2014

No. of participating countries: 10 (Austria, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam)

No. of papers presented: No. of participants: 15 resource speakers

from 10 countries Co-organizers: Kasetsart University, Thailand

List of papersKeynote papers

1. Global developments of biofuels for transport

- Heinz Kopetz2. Bioenergy strategy for diverse markets in

ASEAN countries - Koichiro Koike

Resource papers1. The R&D of microalgae-based biofuel

production at University of Tsukuba - Yuuhiko Tanabe

The workshop participants discuss the important technical challenges and research activities that must be addressed to hasten the expansion of second generation and micro algae based biofuels industry

FFTC Deputy Director Dr. Takashi Nagai (right) delivers an inspirational message to the workshop participants

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2. From sugarcane to bioethanol –feedstock management

- Pei-Chen Chou3. Engineering of recombinant

Saccharomyces cerevisiae for bioethanol production from renewable biomass

- Yong-Cheol Park4. Challenges to keep Indonesian food,

water and biodiversity sustained: from bioenergy development point of view

- Arinafril Naalim5. Development of biomass and biofuels

sector in Malaysia for economic and environmental sustainability: `Malaysian biomass industry action plan 2020’

- Tang Kok Mun6. How to organize a biogas project in

Thailand - Torsten Fischer7. Turn around in energy policy - Doreen Fragel8. Energy plants plantation and technic

for biogas production and utilization: comparison of experiences in Thailand and Germany

- Sunpeth Cumnuantip

9. Design of heat absorber for solid waste energy recovery

- Arturo Mariano Figueroa10. The application of rice husk furnace - Chung-The Sheng11. Research on biomass for energy

production in Europe—the German best project as example

- Michael Bredemeier12. Old palm trunks: a promising source of

sugars for biomass refinery - Akihiko Kusugi13. Current status of biofuel production in

Vietnam - Van Dinh Son Tho

For further information, contact Dr. Wan-tien Tsai, FFTC agricultural specialist

Workshop participants visit the Power Prospect Co. Ltd., a biofuel plant in Ayuthaya province, Thailand as part of their educational and exposure trip

Philippine delegate, Dr. Arturo Mariano Figueroa, joins the discussion on enhancing collaboration among biofuel industry players in order to seek solutions to current technical problems and concerns