Biomethane to Fuel Japan’s Space Missions

1. Biomethane to Fuel Japan’s Space Missions The world is consciously and collectively moving towards sustainability, and the need to produce renewable energy sources has never been recognized more. One such renewable source of energy, also known as green gas - biomethane has the capability to revolutionize the way everybody powers their industries, residences, and vehicles. This blog aims to understand biomethane briefly and shed light on the aim of a Japanese company that is working on creating a rocket fuel based on biomethane. Biomethane is a renewable natural gas produced by biogas upgradation. It has several ecological and economic benefits. One of the most important benefits is that the production of biomethane is carbon- neutral. It is because the CO2 released during the production is captured from the atmosphere and doesn’t rise from the fossil reserves.

2. Like biogas, biomethane can be restored and used as an alternative to other sustainable fuels for several industrial and commercial applications. Moreover, energy generation is a continuous process regardless of the weather and even generates employment opportunities, which helps strengthen the country’s economy. Air Water, a chemical manufacturing company based in Japan, has been working to create a liquid biomethane using animal waste, particularly cow dung, that can be used to fuel rockets. It is an excellent solution for dairy farmers struggling with the disposal of animal waste. The company has been manufacturing liquid biomethane on the northernmost island of Hokkaido since 2021. It is ready to conduct trials starting this autumn by using the fuel in the rocket developed by Interstellar Technologies Inc. - a space startup based in Japan’s Hokkaido. The process includes fermenting urine and feces in a plant established in the town of Taiki, and the produced biogas is then transported to a factory in the city of Obihiro. The methane undergoes separation from the biogas, is cooled, and finally transformed into liquid biomethane. Rockets use energy generated from liquid fuel to take off into space. Generally, high-purity methane is produced with the help of liquid natural gas, but Air Water is working to create similar methane with the help of biogas sourced through waste. An Air Water representative said, “We want to send the rocket up using carbon-neutral energy.” However, Interstellar Technologies will perform the necessary tests to make sure that fuel made from cow dung can be used for the devices. The company also aims to use it for the “Zero” rocket along with a tiny satellite payload. Source:https://www.bizbangboom.com/articles/biomethane-to-fuel-japan%E2%80%99s-space- missions