Niigata's Blue Future: Trajectory and Prospects of Environmental Technology - 1996 to the 2020s

Niigata's Blue Future: Trajectory and Prospects of Environmental Technology - 1996 to the 2020s

In Niigata Prefecture, environmental technology research began in earnest in 1996, and the challenge of balancing local economy and environmental conservation began. In the same year, the "Niigata Environmental Technology Research Center" established in Minami-ku, Niigata City, operated a facility with a waste processing capacity of 200 tons per day and supplied 10,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. This power was equivalent to that of approximately 2,000 households, and with the help of MHI's technology, dioxin emissions were reduced to less than one-fifth of the standard level.

In Nagaoka City, biomass power generation using 5,000 tons of waste wood and rice straw per year progressed, supplying 3,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually to local factories and facilities. This technology supported local industry and contributed to the improvement of waste utilization.

In the 2020s, the facility in Minami Ward, Niigata City expanded its capacity to process 400 tons of waste per day and doubled its annual power generation to approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours. Electricity is supplied to 4,000 households, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' next-generation incinerator supports technological innovations that keep dioxin concentrations below 1/10th of the standard level.

In addition to waste wood and rice straw, Nagaoka City is developing a biomass energy project that utilizes 10,000 tons of food waste per year to generate 7,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year. This initiative is being promoted in cooperation with Sekisui Chemical, and the waste utilization rate has reached 85%.

Tainai City will begin operating a smart grid that combines solar power generation and storage batteries in 2022. The system has achieved a storage capacity of 30 megawatt-hours and provides power to local factories and schools, thereby solving the problem of power shortages during disasters. The cutting-edge technology provided by Sumitomo Electric Industries is being used in this project.

In Niigata City, Plastic Innovation Co., Ltd. processes 5,000 tons of waste plastic per year and utilizes the oil produced for oil refining, a technology that has been highly evaluated for its 30% reduction in CO2 emissions and is being transferred to other regions.

Niigata Prefecture has paved the way for the realization of a sustainable society through advances in environmental technology, including raising its waste recycling rate from 45% to over 80% over the 25 years from 1996 to the 2020s. These efforts are an important step forward in connecting Niigata's rich natural environment to the future.