IHI to Test Algae-based Jet Fuel Production in Thailand
IHI will conduct large-scale verification experiments in Thailand on a process for producing jet fuel from the oil extracted from cultured microalgae.
The goal is to have a practical technology ready by 2020 so the biojet fuel can be used for test flights during the Tokyo Olympics. Commercialization of the fuel is not expected until around 2030, however.
For these tests, the Japanese industrial machinery maker is teaming up with the Siam Cement Group, a major manufacturer of cement and building materials in Thailand. The project will be set up on land owned by SCG in Saraburi Province in central Thailand.