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March FY2023
R&D and Social Implementation Plan Formulated for the "Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in Manufacturing" Project

R&D and Social Implementation Plan Formulated for the "Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in Manufacturing" Project

March 28, 2023

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has formulated an R&D and Social Implementation plan that summarizes the Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in Manufacturing project to be implemented using the Green Innovation Fund.

1. Background and purpose

Toward the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, METI has established a Green Innovation Fund and decided to assign the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as its operator. Based on specific goals shared by the public and private sectors, the government will provide continuous support for a maximum of ten years to companies and other organizations that are committed to taking on the ambitious goals mentioned above as their most critical business issues. The support will consist of assistance for efforts ranging from research and development (R&D) through demonstrations to public implementation of the outcomes.

In order to ensure proper and efficient execution of the fund, the Green Innovation Project Committee under the Industrial Structure Council finalized the Fund Allocation Policy for Each Field. Based on this policy, field-specific working groups established under the Committee deliberate on issues such as the priority and appropriateness of the amount to be implemented by the fund for each project. Then, the divisions and offices in charge of the project at the responsible ministries and agencies formulate the content of each project as an "R&D and Social Implementation Plan," and start calls for applicants.

Today, METI formulated an R&D and Social Implementation Plan for the "Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in Manufacturing" project based on discussions by the Working Group in the Field of Energy Structure Transformation.

2. Main content of the R&D and Social Implementation Plan for "Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in Manufacturing" projects

Toward the decarbonization of metal heating processes used in industries such as those of pig iron casting, secondary forging, and heat treated metal, this project will conduct R&D on combustion technologies necessary for carbon neutral industrial furnaces as well as technologies to make electric furnaces highly efficient and reduce their power consumption, which are essential for promoting the transition from combustion furnaces to electric ones by 2031, with a view toward establishing a large, affordable supply base of ammonia and hydrogen. The project aims to socially implement these technologies in the first half of the 2030s.

3. Future schedule

Today, NEDO has started the call for applicants for projects involving the "Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in Manufacturing" project. For details, please check NEDO's public call information at the link below.