Tokyo DME Seminar a Success

BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: On Tuesday, June 16th, approximately 300 people attended the DME Seminar 2009 in the Heisei Plaza at the Tokyo International Exchange located on Tokyo's waterfront.

The Seminar was a cooperative venture of prominent Japanese DME organizations: the Japan DME Vehicle Promotion Committee (DMEVPC), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan DME Forum, and the DME Promotion Center. The meeting also had the support of the Kanto Economic Development Organization as well as Kanagawa and Niigata Prefectures and Niigata City..

Hosted by Dr. Mitsuhara Oguma of AIST, the seminar theme was Opening Doors to the Practical Application of DME.

There were seven presentations and included topics such as the Practical Applications of DME in Japan, Japanese Trends in DME, the Approach of Regional Governments to DME, DME in China Today, LPG/DME Blending Technology, Dewatering Technology for Sewage Sludge and a Panel Discussion which included a presentation from Canada's Blue Fuel Energy Corporation.

Noted speakers included Dr. Shinichi Goto of AIST, Akira Ishiwada of FDME and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Yasuhito Mikita of Iwatani International, Emiko Murakami of the Kitakyushu Office for International Environmental Cooperation, Koichi Nishimura of Isuzu Motors, and others. The panel discussion was moderated by Professor Iida of Keio University while the closing address was by Chairman Fujimoto of Japan DME Forum.

Following up on the seminar, on Monday, June 22, DMEVPC's Fuel Group held a working session which included six presentations including sessions on ISO standards for DME purity from Mr. Hiroshi Kita of MGC and Professor Oguma of ASIT, as well as a fascinating overview of world fuel markets from Total Japan. Blue Fuel Energy Corp. was also invited to give a presentation as were members from Bosch and JFE Holdings. Yasuto Ando of JFE's Corporate Planning Dept. described the trial project "100 Tons of DME per Day" which, though successful in achieving its goal, ended in 2006 in Kushiro, Japan.

Twenty-two Fuel Group members and guests attended the session.