KARIYA (Japan) ― DENSO Corporation today announced that it will build a large 20,000 square meter test facility for the culture of Pseudochoricystis ellipsoidea , an oil-producing microalga patented by DENSO that is used to help reduce CO ₂ emissions. The new facility located in Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan, will be used to perform verification tests needed to establish large-scale microalga cultivation technologies required to improve biofuel production efficiency. The facility will start operations in April, 2016.

Since April 2008, DENSO has worked to produce biofuel extracted from Pseudochoricystis ellipsoidea microalga, which is a fast-growing, vigorous, and easy-to-cultivate microalga. Until now, DENSO has conducted microalga farming tests in a smaller 300 square meter facility located on its Zenmyo Plant site in Nishio, Aichi, Japan. DENSO’s new facility will be one of the largest sites in Japan used for this kind of study. In 2018 timeframe, DENSO aims to have established large-scale microalga cultivation technologies.

DENSO will continue its efforts to help preserve the global environment and create a sustainable society.