Approximately 28 years ago, we developed a technology to treat the sludge that accumulates in lakes and marshes. Our technology is a method that activates the unique microorganisms lurking in lakes and marshes and restores them to their original state. In terms of costs at the time, one ton of bottom sludge could be processed for 3,000 yen. However, the general contractor followed a different method and disposed of 1 ton of bottom mud for 12,000 yen.
There was a bid to purify a polluted lake in Tokyo. Our company was planning to enter the bid in a consortium with a major company. I was summoned by a senior official from the Ministry of Transport at the time for a preliminary hearing. But, this was not a pre-hearing, but merely a notice on the bid price.

「Ochiai san, your technology can process 1 ton of bottom sludge at a low price of 3,000 yen, but other construction companies are expected to pay between 10,000 and 12,000 yen. Cheap is not a bad thing, but I would like you to bid in a way that is balanced with other companies.」

It’s a funny story now, but I wonder if something similar will happen with current decarbonization technologies.

「I feel like someone is saying, Ochiai san, if we use your technology, it will only cost $12 to $15 to fix CO2, but CCS costs $78 to $90. It’s only good to spread the technology, and cheap is not necessarily the best. Please think about the balance.」