Biogas Power Plant Being Tested Under Kyoto Eco-Energy Project

The Kyoto Eco-Energy Research Center is a biogas power generation plant built as part of the Kyoto Eco-Energy Project, and has been running on a trial basis since mid-August. Full-scale operation is scheduled for December 2005. This project was commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an independent administrative agency affiliated with the Japanese government, to demonstrate new energy research with a local-community focus.

Under this project, biogas, solar and wind power generation facilities have been constructed in Kyotango, Kyoto Prefecture, to provide electricity generated from renewable sources. Because solar and wind power generation is vulnerable to changing weather conditions, it is to be combined with other systems having controllable outputs. The power generation structure will include: photovoltaics (50 kW); wind power (50 kW); biogas (a 400 kW gas engine and 250 kW fuel cells); and rechargeable batteries (100 kW). A stable supply of electricity and heat energy will be provided to the city office, a city hospital, municipal housing complexes and other buildings in the city. The project aims to establish a decentralized new energy supply system at reasonable cost, with minimal effect on the existing electric power grid.

Amita Corp., a company specializing in recycling consulting services and one of the participants in the project, will be taking charge of operation and management of the plant and will be responsible for procuring food waste for the biogas power generator. The company will also install a fuel cell system on the same site, and conduct the operation and management of the system. The food waste used in this plant will be collected from various food processing firms and include a wide variety of kinds and quality. There has been increasing demand for recycling such food waste. Amita's role is to realize stable and efficient methane fermentation based on a comprehensive analysis and investigation of the food waste, and to establish a systematic way to collect it. The company also intends to consider using fermentation residue efficiently as compost.

http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/en/index.html

Posted: 2005/11/25 10:01:21 PM
Japanese version