According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Kawasaki Heavy Industries looks to bring the first hydrogen liquefier made by a Japanese company to market around 2020, Nikkei has learned, a development that could spur wider use of the fuel in power generation and cars.
The heavy equipment maker has been developing equipment that liquefies the gas by cooling it to negative 235 C. Although the liquid requires specialized ships to transport, it is high purity and can be immediately used in fuel cells and power plants, according to the company.
Liquefaction allows hydrogen to be transported in bulk by shrinking its volume to one-eight hundredth of its gaseous state. Hydrogen produced as a byproduct overseas -- at a chemical plant, for example -- could be shipped to Japan as clean energy.
Kawasaki Heavy's prototype equipment improves liquefaction efficiency by nearly 20% compared with existing models, and increases daily output to 25 tons from 5 tons. The company will begin selling the equipment after further testing.
Using its expertise in natural gas liquefiers and storage, Kawasaki Heavy will offer everything from tanks to piping for a hydrogen energy supply chain.
Buyers will likely include energy companies. Construction costs for a hydrogen liquefier producing 5 tons daily range from 3 billion yen to 4 billion yen (US$ 27.3 million to US$ 36.3 million), according to Kawasaki Heavy. The company aims for annual hydrogen-related sales of over 100 billion yen in fiscal 2030.
The adoption of hydrogen energy is still to come. The Hydrogen Council, a global initiative led by Royal Dutch Shell and Japan's Toyota Motor, estimates that investments of $190 billion in production and transport infrastructure is needed to create a worldwide "hydrogen society" by 2030.
​
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Hydrogen-power-in-Japan-poised-for-boost-from-new-supply-tech

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/2737761
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, Indian energy giant Adani could begin construction of its controversial $2 billion Carmichael mine within three weeks after the Palaszczuk government announced its final deadlines for environmental approvals.
In what could be the end of a decade-long struggle to gain approvals for the thermal coal mine in central Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday said the deadline for the final two environmental approvals would be resolved by mid-June.
​
https://www.afr.com/business/mining/adani-mine-could-start-by-mid-june-20190524-p51qq9

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-62210559

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, stock prices for Japanese and Australian producers of minor metals shot up on Wednesday as investors bet on alternatives to Chinese rare-earth suppliers amid speculation that Beijing could restrict exports to the U.S. as part of the ongoing trade war.
Japan's Toho Titanium and Osaka Titanium Technologies rose 3.8% and 3.6%, respectively, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
"Indirect cash flows through exchange-traded funds [that invest in minor-metal companies] were considered a positive factor as well," said Takehiko Masuzawa of Macquarie Capital Securities (Japan). The VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF fund jumped 5% in the U.S. on Tuesday.
Australian miners Lynas and Pilbara Minerals enjoyed gains of 7.5% and 7.1%, respectively, on Wednesday.
But other analysts do not expect potential export restrictions to provide a boon to minor-metal producers.
The trend was triggered by Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to a rare-earth processing facility in China on Monday. China is the world's largest producer of rare-earth metals and minerals, as well as a processor of rare-earth ores. These materials are used in the production of electronics, electric vehicles and defense equipment.
"Japanese companies deal with products like titanium for use in aircraft, and have little overlap with Chinese players," said Emiri Shigeoka of Daiwa Securities. "They probably will see a limited boost from those seeking alternatives to China."
​
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Commodities/Minor-metal-stocks-gain-on-fears-of-Beijing-rare-earth-ban

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/5400298 
​

According to The Asahi Shimbun, for the 28th straight year, Japan's net assets overseas are larger than any other nation.
The position is calculated by subtracting the value of assets in Japan held by foreigners from the amount abroad owned by the Japanese government, companies and individuals.
For the end of 2018, the net international investment position was 341.556 trillion yen ($3.1 trillion), an increase of 12.254 trillion yen, or 3.7 percent, over 2017.
At the end of 2018, overseas assets held by Japanese reached 1,018.038 trillion yen, an increase of 0.5 percent from the end of 2017. It marked the seventh straight year for record overseas assets. Among the reasons for the increase are direct investments by companies through mergers and acquisitions. The increase is also a sign of the diminishing size of the market in Japan that has forced many companies to look overseas for business opportunities.
The figures on the international investment position were released on May 24 by the Finance Ministry.
The total direct investment overseas at the end of 2018 was 181.704 trillion yen, an increase of 6.563 trillion yen over the previous year.
The amount of assets in Japan held by foreigners was 676.482 trillion yen at the end of 2018, a decrease of 7.58 trillion yen, or 1.1 percent. Much of the decrease was attributed to the falling prices of Japanese stocks held by foreign companies and individual investors.
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201905250045.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-282191651 
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, when it comes to diagnosing serious health issues, computers are beginning to outpace human experts. A new study by Google and several medical centres has found the machines are as good as, or better than, doctors at detecting tiny lung cancers on CT scans.
The technology is a work in progress and is not ready for widespread use, but the report, which was published on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, offers a glimpse of how artificial intelligence will be used in medicine.
One of the most promising areas is recognising patterns and interpreting images – the same skills humans use to read microscope slides, X-rays, MRIs and other medical scans.
By feeding huge amounts of data from medical imaging into systems called artificial neural networks, researchers can train computers to recognise patterns linked to a specific condition, like pneumonia, cancer or a wrist fracture that would be hard for a person to see. The system follows an algorithm, or set of instructions, and learns as it goes. The more data it receives, the better it becomes at interpretation.
​
https://www.afr.com/business/health/google-ai-can-spot-lung-cancer-like-an-expert-20190521-p51pj7

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ai5716505
​

According to The Asahi Shimbun, a substance developed in Japan to remove ammonia from the air packs such a powerful punch it can cut the foul odor that wafts from pigpens.
The adsorbent, which enables airborne ammonia to adhere to its surface, is five to 100 times more effective than existing materials with similar properties, including activated carbon, researchers said.
Animal waste is one source of ammonia, a colorless gas which is harmful to human health in high concentrations.
Scientists from Tsukuba's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Ibaraki Prefecture, and Kanto Chemical Co., based in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, joined forces to develop the substance, called copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF).
One application would be for clean environments such as those used in the manufacturing of semiconductors.
Senior AIST researcher Akira Takahashi and his colleagues said they produced CuHCF by replacing half of the iron ions in the pigment Prussian blue with copper ions.
The group initially drew on that property to develop an adsorbent for radioactive cesium that spewed from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant after the triple meltdown in March 2011.
Prussian blue adsorbs various molecules and ions into the gaps of its grid-like structure.
The researchers subsequently replaced iron ions with various other metal ions to study changes in the properties. The ammonia adsorbent emerged during that process, they said.
A single gram of CuHCF was found to adsorb 100 times more ammonia than a gram of activated carbon, and five times the amount of ammonia adsorbed by a gram of ion exchange resin, the scientists said.
The team put granulated CuHCF into a plate-shaped case 60 centimeters tall, 50 cm wide and 5 cm thick to make an adsorption device, which they operated in an airtight pigpen containing 40 pigs. The pigpen stank a lot less when they ran the device than when no adsorption device was installed, the researchers said.
The adsorption filter can be used repeatedly if it is washed with an acidic solution, the researchers added.
The high cost of producing it remains a major challenge.
“The substance currently costs around 100,000 yen (US$ 900) per kilogram,” Takahashi said. “We hope mass production will bring it down to several thousand yen.”
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201905160008.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/7380762

According to The Australian Financial Review, Australia's biggest export earners, iron ore and coking coal, should be fetching stronger than expected prices in coming years according to Credit Suisse.
The bank expects iron-ore prices to increase from current levels of about $US95 ($137) per tonne to $US110 per tonne in the period between July and September, as the peak buying season for Chinese steel mills coincides with supply weakness from Brazil after January's tailings dam disaster.
Credit Suisse expects iron ore to average $US85 per tonne in 2020; well above the $US55 per tonne (excluding the cost of freight, which is typically about $US6) that the Australian government has forecast for March 2020.
Credit Suisse has forecast iron ore to average $US75 per tonne and $US65 per tonne in 2021 and 2022.
The bank has upgraded its hard coking coal price forecast for 2019 by 27 per cent to $US203 per tonne; the price was $US212 per tonne earlier last week.
Credit Suisse expects the price to remain above $US200 per tonne in 2020 and 2021, before easing to an average $US180 per tonne in 2022.
​
https://www.afr.com/business/mining/credit-suisse-tips-iron-ore-coking-coal-price-20190515-p51npk

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/6053674 
​

According to The Asahi Shimbun, staying true to the concept of "mottainai" (no waste), Seven-Eleven convenience stores in Japan will start offering points for purchasing items approaching their best-before date.
The discount program, to be launched in autumn, will make use of the nanaco electric money system employed by Seven & i Holdings Co. at its group companies, including the Seven-Eleven Japan Co. stores.
Customers who use the nanaco card to make purchases will accumulate points based on the purchase price.
Under the program, food products such as "onigiri" rice balls and "bento" boxed lunches produced for same-day consumption and facing a best-by time in four or five hours would effectively be sold at a discount, as 5 percent of the price would be returned as a premium to the customer.
About 500 items would be covered by the discount program.
Those who pay with cash or credit cards will not be eligible for the discount.
Seven-Eleven Japan plans to introduce the discount program, which is aimed at reducing the large volume of discarded food, at about 20,000 outlets.
Company officials said about 25 percent of Seven-Eleven customers use the nanaco card.
Another major convenience store chain, Lawson Inc., is planning to introduce a similar program on an experimental basis from June.
While Seven-Eleven Japan officials said they never restricted offering discounts on food products near their best-by time, franchise owners contend that the parent company has not promoted the idea, making it difficult for individual outlets to offer such discounts.
As a result, this has led many of those outlets to simply throw away food products past their best-by time. Moreover, the individual outlets have to shoulder most of the expenses associated with discarding expired food products.
Under the new program, the cost of the points returned to customers who buy discounted food products will be shouldered by the parent company. The program has already been tested at a number of directly operated outlets.
The Lawson trial will involve the Ponta and d-point cards that customers can use at Lawson outlets. Five percent of the purchase price will be returned to customers in the form of card points.
The trial, applying to products with a special seal attached, will be conducted at outlets in Ehime and Okinawa prefectures.
The discount program is the latest in a series of changes in the business model used at Japanese convenience stores. Difficulty in finding part-time workers for the graveyard shift has led some franchise owners of Seven-Eleven outlets to do away with the 24-hour operation pushed by the parent company.
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201905170033.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-26241907
​

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Nissan Motor Co. announced on May 16 that its luxurious Skyline will debut hands-free highway driving this fall, making it the first domestic automaker to sell cars using the technology in Japan.
“This technology is the highest level in the world. It cannot be exceeded easily,” said Tetsuya Iijima, who has led Nissan’s efforts to develop advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving technologies.
The new system enables hands-free driving while cruising in a single lane on a highway. Once the driver sets a speed, the car keeps cruising and the system takes care of steering, accelerating and braking automatically.
Hands-free driving continues as long as the driver's attention stays on the road. A camera equipped inside the car continually monitors the driver to make sure they are looking ahead.
An alarm goes off if the driver continuously looks away or closes their eyes. The car then makes an emergency stop if the driver doesn't return their gaze to the road.
If the system detects that the car is getting too close to a slower vehicle ahead, the driver receives lane change suggestions on the monitor.
The driver also gets lane change suggestions on the monitor, when the system determines it's necessary to switch lanes to reach a destination.
Drivers change lanes by flicking a switch, but they have to put their hands on the wheel while doing so.
The functions were made possible by incorporating a car navigation system that uses detailed digital maps.
Nissan said it plans to sell Skylines featuring the new system overseas in the future, but they will be released in Japan first.
Other Nissan models will eventually be equipped with the hands-free system but the details of which models will feature it and when they will be on the market have yet to be determined.
Some vehicles sold in Japan already have autonomous highway driving functions, as foreign and domestic automakers have achieved practical use of the feature in steering, accelerating and braking. But none features a function for hands-free highway driving.
Nissan’s new system has been approved by the transport ministry, partly because the firm implemented a camera to monitor the driver’s eye line.
The race to develop automated driving technologies has been rapidly intensifying.
Germany’s BMW has announced that it plans to sell a vehicle in Japan this summer that enables hands-free driving on highways only when the highway is jammed.
Toyota Motor Corp. has introduced a function that allows a car to make a lane change autonomously.
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201905170042.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/9991044

According to The Australian Financial Review, gas buyers on the east coast aren't seeing the benefit of lower spot prices for LNG in Asia, with east coast prices rising in April from March to a level as much as $2 a gigajoule higher than a year ago, the latest analysis of the market by consultancy EnergyQuest has confirmed.
The firm found that short-term prices reached the low $9s a gigajoule range in Queensland and about $10/GJ further south, despite a dip in LNG exports from Gladstone and surplus gas from the north-east flowing south to other states.
There was no LNG was shipped from Queensland to the Asian spot market last month, with all the gas sold under long-term contracts which are based on crude oil prices and are more expensive. Netbacks based on contract LNG prices were therefore higher than the spot "netback".
"This demonstrates the importance of oil prices, more so than LNG spot prices," EnergyQuest said of the influences on gas prices in the eastern states, where manufacturers are being crippled by domestic tariffs that in some cases have trebled in a few years.
EnergyQuest noted an apparent "jump-up" in east coast short-term prices since last July of $1-$2 a gigajoule, coinciding with an average increase in exports from Gladstone and higher oil prices.
​
https://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/east-coast-gas-price-defies-weakness-in-lng-20190517-p51oh5

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/lng2291137 
​