Marubeni plans carbon projects in Indonesia

TOKYO, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Marubeni Corp (8002.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Japan's fifth-biggest trading company, plans to launch five to 10 carbon credit projects in Indonesia next year, reaping 3 million credits by 2012, a company source said on Friday.

Marubeni, jointly with the country's University of Lampung, plans to capture greenhouse gas methane generated from palm oil and sugar cane plants in South Sumatra for use in power generation, it said.

Under the Kyoto protocol, countries can offset their carbon dioxide emissions by purchasing carbon credits in CO2-reducing projects in developing countries.

Japan is struggling to meet its target of cutting its emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels, generating further need to buy credits. (Reporting by Yuko Inoue; Editing by Malcolm Whittaker)