TEPCO eyes wood waste for coal plant

subscribe

Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) has said that it plans to use wood waste as a biomass fuel source for one of its coal-fired plants.

TEPCO announced that starting in 2012, its power station in the Japanese village of Tokai, Ibaraki prefecture, will use wood waste alongside coal. Wood from forest thinning and waste from lumber mills will be made into pellets, which will then be crushed and mixed with coal.

TEPCO said the process, which will use about 70,000 tons of wood waste annually, will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions at the power plant by 110,000 tonnes a year.

The Japanese government established a Biomass Nippon Strategy to increase the domestic production of local biomass fuel from sources such as lumber waste and rice straw in 2002. Officials view biomass as an efficient way of using " carbon-neutral" resources that would otherwise be disposed as waste.

The idea of mixing coal and biomass is also becoming increasingly popular globally as coal-fired plants seek to find a quick way of curbing carbon emissions. For example, the UK's largest coal- powered plant – Drax in Yorkshire – is working on installing a co-firing facility that will allow it to burn coal and biomass, cutting carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes a year.

Related News

sunrun-tesla-unveil-texas-power-plant

Sunrun and Tesla Unveil Texas Power Plant

TEXAS - In a significant development for renewable energy and grid resilience, Sunrun and Tesla have announced a groundbreaking partnership to establish a distributed power plant in Texas. This collaboration represents a major step forward in harnessing solar energy and battery storage to create a more reliable and sustainable power system. The initiative aims to address the growing demand for clean energy solutions while enhancing grid stability and resilience in one of the largest and most energy-dependent states in the U.S.

The new distributed power plant, a joint venture between Sunrun, a leading residential solar provider, and Tesla, renowned for…

READ MORE
nuclear plant

Entergy Creates COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to Help Customers in Need

READ MORE

wyoming wind farm

Wyoming wind boost for US utility

READ MORE

why-atomic-energy-is-heating-up-again

Why Atomic Energy Is Heating Up Again

READ MORE

A tidal project in Scottish waters just generated enough electricity to power nearly 4,000 homes

READ MORE