Mazda selected for NEDO project to develop microalgae-based renewable diesel

Mazda Motor Corporation has been selected for Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) 2026 program to develop and promote energy conservation technologies for a decarbonized society. The project, titled ‘Development of High-Density Microalgal Biofuel,’ focuses on the social implementation of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, refined from lipids extracted from microalgae.

Mazda aims to utilize microalgae because they can be efficiently produced in limited spaces without competing with food crops or contributing to deforestation. In collaboration with Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., the company will conduct research and development spanning the entire process from cultivation to lipid extraction and the subsequent production of renewable diesel.

As a practical application of this technology, Mazda intends to begin using renewable diesel as the initial factory-fill fuel for all diesel vehicles manufactured at its domestic plants in Japan by the early 2030s. The initiative is part of Mazda’s multi-solution strategy to achieve carbon neutrality and enhance domestic energy self-sufficiency.