Biomass Power Plant Starts Operation in Tahara City, Eight Companies Including JAPEX Invest
Capacity: 50MW, Using Wood Pellets Imported from Overseas
Outside of Tahara Biomass Power Plant
(Source: Joint Press Release from Tahara Biomass Power Plant LLC, JAPEX, Shizuoka Gas & Power, Tokyo Energy Systems, Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen, Daiichi Jitsugyo, Iwatani Corporation, EF Investment and Solariant Capital)
Biomass Power Generation Facilities Concentrated in the Shirahama Coastal Area, Tahara City
(Source: Nikkei BP)
Tahara Biomass Power Plant, a special purpose corporation (SPC) funded by eight companies including Japan Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (JAPEX), built the Tahara Biomass Power Plant in the Shirahama Riverbank Area, Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture, and began commercial operation on April 1.
Power Plant has a rated capacity of 50 MW and is expected to generate approximately 350 million kWh of electricity per year. Construction will be undertaken by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, O&M (operation and maintenance) and owner engineering services will be undertaken by Tokyo Energy & Systems, asset management will be undertaken by Japex Green Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of JAPEX, and business management will be undertaken by Shizuoka Gas.
The fuel used will be wood pellets imported from overseas. The electricity generated will be sold to the Chubu Electric Grid under the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system. The FIT purchase price is 24 yen/kWh.
The investment ratio of Tahara Biomass, the project owner, is as follows: JAPEX with 39.9%, Shizuoka Gas & Power with 20.0%, Tokyo Energy Systems & Solutions with 20.0%, Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha with 7.0%, Daiichi Jitsugyo with 6.0%, Iwatani Corporation with 5.0%, EF Investment with 2.0%, and Solariant Capital with 0.1%.
The eight investment companies will be assigned tasks such as operation and maintenance, fuel procurement, transportation, and management based on the strengths of each company. In addition, we will cooperate and support in promoting the project, including building and maintaining relationships with local governments and surrounding areas.
Biomass power generation facilities are beginning to be concentrated in the coastal industrial area of Tahara City. A 75 MW wood biomass power plant funded by Marubeni Clean Power, Enewill, and Osaka Gas began operation in November 2024. In addition, Kyuden Mirai Energy, Itochu Corporation, and Tokyu Real Estate will operate a 50 MW wood biomass power plant, while JFE Engineering, Chubu Electric Power, and others will operate a 112 MW wood biomass power plant, which they have announced will begin operation in 2025.
In addition, there are a number of large-scale solar power plants (large-scale solar power plants) and wind power generation facilities located in the coastal area, with a total installed capacity of solar and wind power exceeding 190 MW. With more biomass power plants coming online in the future, the Tahara River area will become one of the leading clusters of renewable energy facilities in the country.
