Masumi Suga Kiyotaka Matsuda write:   The molecules of plant fibers are being transformed into a light-weight material five times stronger than steel that can be used to make everything from auto parts to electronic displays.

No wonder the technology, called cellulose nanofiber, has piqued the interest of executives in Japan, where manufacturers in the world’s third-largest economy import almost all the metal and fuel they need.

While development is in the early stages, the government estimates domestic sales may be worth about 1 trillion yen ($8.3 billion) in 15 years.

“Cellulose nanofiber itself could be an ace-in-the-hole for Japan’s industry,” said Hiroyuki Okaseri, a senior pulp and paper analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in Tokyo.

At a time when developed countries are looking for ways to curb carbon emissions, Japan sees commercial development of a plant-based building material as an attractive option to metals that require fossil fuels to mine, transport and process ore. The steel industry is the nation’s top polluter among manufacturers, accounting for more than 40 percent of industry emissions, government data show.

Leading the charge to a plant-based alternative are companies connected with the paper industry in Japan, where about 70 percent of the island nation is covered with forests. They’re looking for new markets and revenue as Japan’s shrinking population and the shift to more online content erode demand for books, newspapers and paper documents.
Seiko PMC Corp., a maker of chemicals for the paper industry, is offering potential customers cellulose nanofiber samples made at a pilot plant that began operating last year in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo.
Developing cellulose nanofiber has gotten the backing of the government under measures enacted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intended to revive Japan’s stagnant economy.

The trade ministry has asked for 450 million yen for the year starting April 1 to develop the manufacturing process and study how the material can be used. In cooperation with the auto industry, the Ministry of the Environment sought 3.8 billion yen to assess the potential for improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions by using the lighter-weight material in vehicles.

While replacing steel won’t happen immediately, car bodies made of cellulose nanofiber are a possibility, according to Kentaro Doi, director of the environment ministry’s climate-policy division. The economy ministry estimates automotive uses could account for as much as 60 percent of the 1 trillion yen market within 15 years. That figure could rise many times when markets outside Japan are considered, Watanabe said.

Competition to develop new materials for the auto industry is heating up as stricter emissions rules force companies to look for ways of making their vehicles more fuel efficient, including with materials that weigh less than metal.