Woody Biomass Co-firing Test at the Tsuruga Thermal Power Plant of Hokuriku Electric Power Company - May 2004

Woody Biomass Co-firing Test at the Tsuruga Thermal Power Plant of Hokuriku Electric Power Company - May 2004
In 2004, Japan's energy policy was focused on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the Kyoto Protocol was about to enter into force. While coal-fired power generation is the main source of electricity supply, it is also the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, and power companies were faced with the question of how to reduce its environmental impact. Under these circumstances, attention was focused on co-firing technology. By mixing a certain percentage of woody biomass, a renewable resource, with coal, the aim was to reduce the actual increase in carbon dioxide emissions during combustion while at the same time diversifying fuel procurement.

At the Tsuruga Thermal Power Station of Hokuriku Electric Power Company, located in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, a 15-day co-firing test was conducted from May to June 2004. In the test, a portion of the coal fuel was replaced with biomass fuel such as wood chips, and the effect on power generation efficiency and boiler facilities was verified. Despite the initial tests, it was confirmed that the plant can be operated stably at a certain co-firing ratio, and it is expected to reduce CO2 emissions.

At the time, the electric power industry was facing high dependence on fuel imports and the risk of price fluctuations, and the introduction of woody biomass was also evaluated for its secondary benefits of cooperation with the local forestry industry and utilization of waste wood. In addition, in conjunction with government subsidies and NEDO R&D support, the project was a step forward in pushing biomass energy to the practical stage.

The Tsuruga test was a precursor to the later widespread introduction of co-firing at thermal power plants nationwide, and will be remembered as a symbolic example of how to combine environmental measures with a stable energy supply. It was an attempt to move away from coal-fired power generation and to utilize local resources, and was an experimental symbol of the energy transition that Japan was seeking in the mid-2000s.