Prof. Morihiro Kurushima
Prof. Morihiro Kurushima
Toyo University – Graduate School of Regional Development Studies
Member of National Committee on Energy and Resources Engineering Science Council of Japan
NEDO Program Manager
Homepage
kurui@itakura.toyo.ac.jp
Congress-Abstract
Challenges on New Technologies for Sustainable Energy System – METI , NEDO and the CTI with Germany –
The Japanese government has made a huge effort in connection with the development of renewable energies. METI itself initiated the “Sunshine Project,” and has further strengthened it, which is designed to promote new energy technologies and R&D activities. METI also established NEDO; the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization to play a central role in these projects in cooperation with industry and academia.
These efforts have yielded positive results. For example, the production cost of PVs (photovoltaics) is only one eighth (12%) of what it was 20 years ago. Moreover, as you may already know, in Japan total PV capacity reached 860MW(mega-watt) , which is by far the highest in the world. Japan also has a 45% production share of the world market.
Notwithstanding such successes, however, we still find that generation costs of renewable energies are high when compared with those of conventional energies. It is necessary to further reduce costs through technical development, and other efforts. Renewable energies also have certain characteristics which cause problems related to the stability of their quality and output of electricity.
Further technical development is needed to improve the reliability of renewable energies for long-term use, and to increase energy efficiency.
Thus, in order to promote the adoption of renewable energies, it is important for us to foster broad-based cooperation among industrial, administrative, and academic sectors, and to share the information which need to be overcome.
NEDO-Japan, an implementing agency with the Japanese government, has been carrying out technology development and promotion of new and renewable energy, energy conservation, research and development projects such as 3R (reduction of waste generation, reuse and recycling) technologies, technologies for reducing environmental pollutants, new materials, machinery and biotechnology, thus supporting research, development and introduction of feasible technologies for industry.
The promotion of utilizing renewable energy, energy conservation, and CO2 recovery with geological sequestration should be the major way to establish the sustainable energy system for our common future.
The CTI; Climate Technology Initiative, a multilateral initiative as an Implementing Agreement under the IEA, may play an important role to secure win-win situations including technology transfer in the field.
In accordance with the efforts mentioned above, the “World Techno- Bank for Energy & Environment” may be proposed as the most appropriate and the shortest way to achieve our goal.