????With billion dollars investment, Japan's take on decarbonization????

Greetings! It's issue 44 of the "Japan Climate Curation" newsletter??!?

As you could see in this newsletter, there were many policy & investment announcements with a lot of million or billion of dollars. Though we don't hear "climate tech startup" much, the Japanese government and large corporations seem to be working actively and desperately to achieve decarbonization under the restrictive geopolitical situation.

If you are in a hurry to read only 1 article today, here is the one I encourage you to check out to understand the unique situation in Japan. You could see some quotes below.

【4】Japan must play major role in decarbonizing Asia - Tokyo's tech can help other countries go green without sacrificing growth * Nikkei Newspaper's Editorial View [3/1 Nikkei Asia]

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[????????Japan Climate News Headlines]

【1】Japan can achieve 90% clean power share by 2035, US study finds [3/1 Reuters]

Summary of findings from “The 2035 Japan Report

• Due to the decreasing costs of solar, wind (especially offshore) and battery technology, Japan can achieve a 90% clean electricity share by 2035 (“The Clean Energy scenario”).
• This would also result in a 6% reduction in electricity costs, nearly eliminate dependence on imported LNG and coal, and dramatically reduce power sector emissions.
• Japan’s power grid will remain dependable without the need for new gas capacity or coal generation.
• To take advantage of these significant economic, environmental, and energy security benefits, strong policies such as a 90% clean electricity target by 2035 and corresponding renewable deployment goals are required.

【2】Climate Integrate releases “Decarbonizing Japan’s Electricity System: Policy Change to Trigger a Shift” report. Recommendations for the realization of Berkeley Lab’s 2035 scenario [3/1 Climate Integrate]

【3】?? Japan pledges support to help ASEAN decarbonize its economies [3/4 NHK WORLD-JAPAN News]

• Ministers from Japan, Australia and Southeast Asian countries have agreed to work together to achieve decarbonization by making use of hydrogen and ammonia that do not emit carbon dioxide when burned.
• The first ministerial meeting of the 11-member Asia Zero Emission Community, or AZEC, took place in Tokyo on Saturday.

【4】Japan must play major role in decarbonizing Asia - Tokyo's tech can help other countries go green without sacrificing growth * Nikkei Newspaper's Editorial View [3/1 Nikkei Asia]

• Electricity demand among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is expected to nearly triple by 2050. Yet, as is the case in Japan,?fossil fuels account for a large share of ASEAN's power generation. With roughly 60% of the bloc's electricity coming?from coal-fired plants, reducing these emissions is an urgent priority.
• However, some in the Western world strongly oppose?the use of fuel mixed with?ammonia, saying it merely extends the?life of coal-fired power generation. The Asian Development Bank, for its part,?will focus on speeding up the closure of coal-fired plants and encouraging a shift to renewable energy.

【5】Japan Offers $1.6 Billion to Australia’s Coal-to-Hydrogen Plan [3/7? Bloomberg]

• Japan’s government will offer 220 billion yen ($1.6 billion) from a green innovation fund to accelerate efforts in Australia to produce hydrogen for export from coal and biomass.
• Partners including J-Power Latrobe Valley, a unit of Japan-based?Electric Power Development Co.?and?Sumitomo Corp.?have carried out trials including the?delivery last year?of the first ever liquid hydrogen shipment from southeast Australia to Kobe.?

【6】Indonesia's PLN to receive $200m Japanese loan for renewable energy -Deal to be signed under Asia Zero Emission Community initiative [3/3 Nikkei Asia]

• Banks in Japan will lend $200 million to Indonesian state-owned power company PLN as part of a Tokyo-backed effort to speed a transition from coal to renewable energy.

【7】Japan drafts nuclear fusion development strategy [3/1 NHK WORLD-JAPAN News]

• A Japanese government panel has drafted a set of strategies to develop nuclear fusion as a next-generation energy source. The plan was drafted by a Cabinet Office panel comprised of researchers and members of companies related to the industry.

【8】Amid renewed interest in nuclear fusion, Japan’s research reaches critical stage [2/19 The Japan Times]

• The creation of plasma, made to float by powerful magnets around it, is a sign that nuclear fusion — the smashing of two atomic nuclei together to create one — is achievable and can generate electricity. And a recent breakthrough in the United States has raised hopes that the realization of this as a viable energy source — long considered a pipe dream — is closer than ever.

【9】Tokyo wants 150 times as many EV chargers at apartments in 2030 - Residential charging seen as key to Japanese capital's electrification goal [3/7 Nikkei Asia]

• Japan's capital will more than double certain subsidies for residential electrical-vehicle chargers next year as part of an effort to increase the number available at apartment buildings 150-fold in less than a decade, albeit from a low base.
• New?apartment towers will also be required to have EV chargers?starting in fiscal 2025 -- the first such mandate anywhere in Japan.
• The Tokyo Metropolitan Government?wants zero-emission vehicles to make up half of new vehicle sales in the city by 2030. But only 393 chargers had been installed at apartment buildings as of the end of fiscal 2021. Tokyo?aims to increase the figure to 60,000.

【10】Japan’s Top Steelmaker Nippon Eyes $700 Million ‘Green Steel’ Project [3/7 Bloomberg]

• Japan’s?biggest steelmaker?is considering a major investment in a green steel project powered by hydrogen as a global push to decarbonize one of the world’s most polluting industries gathers pace.
• Nippon Steel Corp. is exploring a project outside its home market that may cost an estimated 100 billion yen ($733 million) or more, according to Takahiro Mori, executive vice president who oversees global operations. Australia and Brazil are among possible sites, where high-grade iron ore is accessible along with cheaper electricity than in Japan, he said in an interview.?

【11】Government releases data on radioactive material levels off Fukushima coast [ 3/6 NHK WORLD-JAPAN News]

• The Japanese government has started a website showing radioactive material levels in seawater before the release of treated and diluted water from the crippled nuclear plant in Fukushima into the ocean. The release is expected to start around spring or summer.
• The English version of the site will be published by the end of March, with future plans to disseminate the site in Korean and Chinese. The URL for the site is https://shorisui-monitoring.env.go.jp

??That's all for this week! Thank you for reading(or skimming) ??. I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead!

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ichi (Hiroyasu Ichikawa)