Biomass Town Concept - April 2003

Biomass Town Concept - April 2003

The Biomass Town Initiative is an effort to build a sustainable society by utilizing local biomass resources, and has been promoted throughout Japan since the 2000s. The initiative aims to create a recycling-oriented society within a region by utilizing various biomass resources generated in the region, such as woody biomass, livestock manure, food waste, and agricultural crop residues, as energy and fertilizer.

For example, in the town of Taiki in Hokkaido, Japan, livestock manure from dairy farming is methane fermented to produce biogas, which is then used to supply electricity to the community. The residue from the fermentation is returned to farmland as compost to ensure agricultural sustainability. The project processes approximately 10,000 tons of livestock manure per year, generating enough biogas to power 1,000 households.

In addition, a biomass power plant in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, is generating electricity from woody biomass, using waste wood from a local sawmill. The power plant uses approximately 50,000 tons of woody biomass as fuel annually, providing enough electricity to power approximately 5,000 households. The project also creates local employment and makes effective use of sawmill waste.

In the 2020s, more and more municipalities are expected to join the Biomass Town Initiative, and the use of biomass in accordance with regional characteristics is expected to progress. In the 2020s, more and more municipalities will participate in the Biomass Town concept, and the use of biomass according to regional characteristics will progress.