Reduce / Reuse / Recycle

June 16, 2003

 

MOE Embarks on Fuel Cell Project Powered by Food Waste

Keywords: Environmental Technology Government Reduce / Reuse / Recycle Renewable Energy 

Japan's Ministry of the Environment has decided to launch a project that uses food waste to power a fuel cell power plant. It will be based on the outcome of a three-year trial project the ministry conducted in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, and is aimed at promoting the effective use of fuel cells in the future.

The power plant generates electricity from hydrogen isolated from the biogas converted from biomass resources through technologies such as methanol fermentation. Since the system enables the generation of electrical and heat energy without burning fossil fuels, this approach is expected to play a vital role in combating global warming.

Presently, 90 percent of food waste in Kobe is incinerated and sent to landfills. By effective use of this system, the city can reduce the environmental burden of wastes, generate energy from what was otherwise simply disposed of, and also reduce toxic dioxin emissions.

Since the collection and sorting of food waste requires substantial cost, power plants will be introduced where then can be attached to municipal garbage treatment facilities, as well as sites where waste disposal occurs and the consumption of energy is possible within the same property. Facilities such as hotels, hospitals, apartments and convenience stores are candidates for such on-site facilities.

The total annual supply of these biomass resources in Japan is about 210 million tonnes, of which about half is from sources within the country, and half (110 million tonnes) are imported. The total supply is equivalent to more than 20 percent of the 470 million tonnes of fossil fuels Japan imports annually. A part of the biomass is consumed as an energy source for humans and livestock, but the rest ends up as waste, contaminating water resources if not incinerated.

The underlying idea of this project is that returning the domestic supply of biomass to croplands and the air within Japan would be compatible with the principle natural circulation, but as much as possible, the imported portion should be used up as energy, for it would otherwise result in eutrophication.


- Fuel Cell Power Plant Produces Biogas from Food Waste (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/89-j

Posted: 2003/06/16 09:53:17 AM
Japanese version

 

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