NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai has pledged a government effort to spearhead development of ethanol in Okinawa as part of the industrial promotion policy for the area.
Nikai vowed cooperation in ethanol development during a meeting Tuesday with Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine and said at a symposium afterward in Naha that the central government will first consider utilizing Okinawa sugar cane to produce the plant-based fuel before examining the possibility of importing it from Brazil, one of the world's largest producers of ethanol.
"We want to place ethanol at the center of our new energy strategy, but at present we face challenges such as high production costs compared with gasoline, insufficient infrastructure for distribution and difficulties in securing stable supplies," Nikai said.