Japanese oil refiners plan to commence joint domestic procurement of environmentally friendly ethanol to be mixed with gasoline this spring, industry sources said Friday.
Japan Biofuels Supply LLP will purchase ethanol to be made from plant sources such as rice and wheat from factories under construction in Hokkaido, they said.
The factories are being built by liquor producer Oenon Holdings Inc. and Hokkaido Bioethanol Co.
The Japanese oil industry has so far imported ethanol from the United States and other countries for experimental sales of ethanol-mixed gasoline.
From April, the industry will gradually expand such sales, the sources said.