New biomass power generation plant points to growing Japanese market

Nippon Paper Industries announced last month that an onsite biomass mixed combustion power generation facility had commenced operation at its mill in Ishinomaki.

The Japanese paper manufacturing company held the completion ceremony for the new facility on 16 March. The plant had begun operation on 1 March.

According to a statement, the facility ‘permits’ mixed combustion using wood biomass. It has been created as part of the company’s bid to contribute to the preservation of domestic forests by using unused woody materials mainly from Tohoku, including Miyagi Prefecture.

On top of this locally sourced biomass, Nippon Paper will also source wood pellets from Asia and North America to boost the biomass blending ratio of the Ishinomaki Hibarino Power Plant.

 

Growing market for wood pellets in Japan

The new Nippon Paper Industries biomass power plant adds to growing signs that Japan and South Korea are set to become a key market for wood based biomass in the coming years.

In the current issue of Bioenergy Insight, Racheal Levinson, biomass research manager at Hawkins Wright, writes: “Beyond Europe, Asia is becoming a more interesting market for wood chips, driven by potential in Japan and South Korea.

“Supported by Japan’s Feed-in-Tarriff subsidy scheme, a huge pipeline of biomass projects is building in the country. It is not yet clear the fuel make-up of all the planned projects nor which will progress but as one of the largest wood chip importers for pulp and paper, Japan will increase its use of wood chips for energy production.”