Japanese city to build biogas plant to increase power supply

The city of Toyohashi in the Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is planning to set up a combined biomass power generation facility.

The Toyohashi plant, projected to be finished in 2017, will base its operations on collecting biodegradable waste from the city’s population of 380,000.

To fund the scheme, Toyohashi Municipal Government is reaching out to private finance initiatives.

‘This will be one of the largest biodegradable waste and sewage sludge treatment facilities in the country,’ an official from Toyohashi Municipal Government says.

The household waste is to be treated along with sewage and septic tank sludge at the Nakajima treatment plant, currently under construction.

After treatment the waste will be broken down and converted into biomethane, which will then be burned to generate electricity.

The leftover residue from methane fermentation will be converted to carbonized fuel and sold to power companies.

The project operation has been awarded to Toyohashi Biowill (TB), based on the company’s suggested action plan and budget.

In addition to designing and building the facility, TB will also operate it for 20 years until 2037.

The project is being funded by four companies, including Tokyo-based JFE Engineering Corp. and Kajima Corp.

It is expected that the city of Toyohashi will provide 59 tonnes of raw waste for processing at the plant each day, which will enable it to generate enough electricity to power 1,900 households a year.

However, screening is currently undergoing to see whether enough waste can realistically be collected in actuality.

‘We believe our target of 59 tonnes can be met,’ says Nobuaki Haga, deputy director of the municipal government’s environment policy division.

‘We will hold meetings with residents’ associations and do all we can to make sure that the message and importance of separating waste is conveyed to all households.’