November 28, 2023
Japan Renewable Energy Corporation

Testing of a Cellulose-Based Technique for Seaweed Bed Generation Begins in Chiba(Potential for blue carbon credit certification)

Japan Renewable Energy Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO,
Representative Director: Kazuhiro Takeuchi; “JRE” below), as part of its initiative tocombat the sea desertification (loss of seaweed beds) that plagues ocean waters around
Japan, has identified what it believes will be an effective method of regenerating
seaweed beds by using a polymer solution based on cellulose and other materials thathave proven successful in the kelp beds of Hokkaido (“Method”). Demonstration testingof the Method (“Demonstration”) will begin in the Uchibo area of Chiba and will be thefirst testing in waters outside Hokkaido.
Research into the Method is led by Professor Norishige Yotsukura of the Field Science
Center for Northern Biosphere at Hokkaido University (Location: Sapporo, Hokkaido;
President: Kiyohiro Houkin). The research has demonstrated the effectiveness ofspraying the ocean with a mixture of kelp zoospores (spores for self-propagation) and a
viscoelastic polymer solution based on cellulose and other materials to deliver the sporesto the ocean floor with minimal dissipation. The Method is effective in establishing andfostering kelp and other seaweed within a specific targeted area and has demonstrated
its success in creating seaweed beds in Hokkaido.
JRE worked with Okabe Co., Ltd. (Head office: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; Representative
Director and President: Hirohide Kawase), a company that has been in the forefront ofexperiments with the Method in its own facilities, to spray a mixture of Ecklonia cava
Kjellman (Laminariales) zoospores and cellulose-based polymer solution in the Uchiboarea of Chiba. (Cellulose is a naturally derived material that places little burden on theenvironment, is inexpensive, and requires no special technology.) JRE will continue tomonitor the growth of the beds and identify the effectiveness of and any problems with
the Method, and will explore the potential for application in ocean waters around Japan.
In recent years, rising ocean temperatures and sea desertification have become asignificant challenge for the fishing industry around Japan due to the loss of fisheryresources. JRE, as a developer of offshore wind power, investigates initiatives that it cantake to contribute to better marine environments, and it decided to conduct thisDemonstration as part of those efforts. The creation of seaweed beds in thisDemonstration will not only help improve the marine environment and restore fisheryresources but also lead to the production of blue carbon*, facilitating the absorption ofcarbon dioxide into the ocean. JRE sees the potential for blue carbon credit certificationin the future, and views the project as beneficial to both offshore wind power and localcommunities, as well as contributing from the ocean to the prevention of global warming.
* “Blue carbon” refers to carbon that is stored by marine ecospheres (mangrove, kelp,seaweed, etc.) as they absorb carbon dioxide in the process of growth. It has garneredmuch attention around the world as a new means of absorbing carbon dioxide, andJapan has begun blue carbon–related initiatives.

About Okabe Co., Ltd.
Involved in construction-related products, automotive products, and marine businesses
under the management philosophy of “contributing to society by providing safety andsecurity.”
URL: https://www.okabe.co.jp/english/(Follow the “Sustainability” link for an overview of marine businesses and other SDGinitiatives)

For inquiries about this matter, please contact:
Japan Renewable Energy Corporation
Corporate Communications & CSR
tel: +81-3-6455-4905

e-mail: pr@jre.co.jp

Attachment【Structure】【Method】

【At work】

Extracted Ecklonia cava Kjellman zoospores are mixed with a cellulose-based polymer solution

The polymer solution is sprayed on the ocean floor【Ref: Growing kelp in Hokkaido using the Method】