The Flame Beneath the City - The Potential of Sewage Treatment Plant Biogas (June 2004)

The Flame Beneath the City - The Potential of Sewage Treatment Plant Biogas (June 2004)

In June 2004, the use of biogas in sewage treatment plants attracted much attention. Technology has begun to be introduced to recover methane, which was previously released as digestion gas, and use it to generate electricity and heat. In particular, treatment plants in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and Osaka City have been demonstrating the use of digestion tank gas to supply fuel cells and gas turbines, with the aim of making the local infrastructure energy independent. One facility reportedly provides enough electricity to power 200 households a year, demonstrating that it is possible to both reduce environmental impact and save energy. In addition, efforts are underway to supply heat from the treatment plant to heat nearby public facilities, depicting a shift in the function of the sewage system from "sewage treatment" to "resource recycling and energy supply. The background at the time was the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the urgent need to address global wa
rming and introduce renewable energy. Biogas utilization was quietly but steadily beginning to be implemented in society as a technology to transform the negative resource of urban sewage into a pillar of a sustainable society.