Biogas from Sewage Sludge to Be Supplied as City Gas | Japan for Sustainability Page 1 of 1

2010.02.03 Wed | Posted by jfs |

2 retweet

Biogas from Sewage Sludge to Be Supplied as City Gas

Major Japanese gas supplier Osaka Gas Co., Kobe City in western Japan and Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., announced
on October 19, 2009, that they would jointly start a test project to purify biogas generated in a sewage treatment plant
to the level of city gas, and to feed the gas directly through gas pipes. The project is slated to start in fiscal 2010 and is
the first attempt of its kind in Japan. The group plans to produce approximately 800,000 cubic meters of biogas per
year, which will cover about 2,000 households' annual usage of gas and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by
roughly 1,200 tons.

Biogas is a combustible gas which is composed mostly of methane generated from sewage sludge or food residue.
Being a carbon-neutral renewable energy, the biogas is expected to be used effectively as one of the measures to
Copyright Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co.
curb global warming. However, the biogas from sewage sludge treatment has had limited use because it is low in
calories and contains impurities. Kobe City and Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co. have been working to purify the biogas produced from the Higashinada Sewage Treatment
Plant in Kobe City, and have succeeded at providing the gas for use in natural gas vehicles. They started to sell the gas named "Kobe Biogas" to city buses and
commercial trucks beginning in April 2008.

This project is intended to increase the use of Kobe Biogas. The Higashinada Plant installed equipment for adjusting calories and eliminating minor constituents,
purifying the biogas generated in the plant to a level similar to that of city gas supplied by Osaka Gas Co., providing the biogas as city gas to the Osaka Gas customers
directly through gas pipes.

Bio-Methane from Sewage Sludge to Be Used as Bus Fuel (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026319.html
Tokyo Gas Starts Purchasing Biogas (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027120.html
Osaka Gas Co. official website
http://www.osakagas.co.jp/indexe.html

Posted: 2010/02/03 06:00:15 AM

TAG

Energy , Local government , Manufacturing industry , Non-manufacturing industry

NEXT ACTION

Search more news from JFS

ex.) Energy
Read next article: [Sustainability College] Facing Many Obstacles and Living as Social Entrepreneur
Read previous article: Lamb Raised on Wine Lees on Sale in Japan

Support JFS
About JFS

RELATED NEWS

Epson Supports Energy-Saving Patrol in Taiwan

Nippon Steel Tests Reduction of CO2 Emissions by Burning Logging Residue Biomass along with Coal
Hanshin Koshien Reborn As Eco-Friendly Stadium
Ecodriving Found to Reduce CO2 Emissions of Nearby Traffic
Hachijo Island Introduces Electric Bicycle Rental Service Utilizing Green Energy

http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029684.html 2/4/2011