The Horizon of Biomass - A Budding Regional Cycle in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan 1998-2003

The Horizon of Biomass - A Budding Regional Cycle in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan 1998-2003

In Kushiro at the end of the 1990s, the introduction of renewable energy and the revitalization of the region after the closure of coal mines proceeded simultaneously, and the New Energy Law of 1997 and the RPS system of 2003 provided a major impetus. The "local production for local consumption of heat," which combines forestry residues, livestock waste, and hot spring waste heat, was considered, and boiler placement and heat supply became a reality, particularly at Lake Akan Onsen Hot Springs. Kushiro has been promoting a shift from "resources to be burned" to "resources to be turned," and has been circulating heat and electricity through composting, biogas conversion, and chipping. These efforts were later carried over to the "Biomass Industrial City" concept, and the current city strategy also identifies the utilization of livestock manure, unused materials, and low-temperature heat as issues to be addressed. The concept of using local resources to generate energy has rema
ined at the center of Kushiro's renewable energy strategy since the FIT period, forming the prototype for a leading regional model.