Japan's Hokuriku starts biomass co-firing test runs

Spanish Market: Biomass, Electricity
21/06/24

Japan's utility Hokuriku Electric Power started coal and wood pellet co-firing test runs in April, the company said today.

Hokuriku has been conducting co-firing test runs using coal and imported wood pellets at the 700MW Tsuruga No.2 unit in Fukui prefecture since April, with the 700MW Nanao-Ohta No.2 unit in Ishikawa prefecture to follow suit.

The company also plans to increase biomass co-combustion rates at these two major coal-fired power plants to 15pc by the April 2030-March 2031 fiscal year, which means a total of 210MW of capacity and 1.5mn MWh/yr of output based on biomass-fired generation.

Hokuriku expects its increased biomass co-firing rates to reduce CO2 emissions by 1mn t/yr compared with emissions from coal-firing for the same output, although it did not disclose the volume of wood pellets that will be burned. The company has been co-firing with coal and domestically-produced wood chips at Tsuruga since 2007 and at Nanao-Ohta since 2010, but its total biomass ratio was under 1pc.

By Takeshi Maeda

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17/04/25

Vietnam wood pellet output capacity to rise: Correction

Corrects capacity in table Singapore, 17 April (Argus) — Vietnamese wood pellet producers are building new pellet mills and manufacturing facilities to increase production capacity this year to meet an anticipated increase in demand from Japan. Producers such as Uniexport — Vietnam's biggest wood pellet producer — and Tam Sen have planned expansion projects, the firms told Argus , and the country could add around 800,000 t/yr of production capacity by the end of 2026, with at least half of this likely to be developed by the end of 2025. The additional capacity would cater for Japanese utility demand, in line with the country's growth in generation capacity. Japan's biomass-fired capacity rose by over 500MW in 2024, and additions of around 700MW are expected for 2025. The simultaneous start-up of many plants could lead to logistical challenges at first. Vietnam has been unable to meet South Korean demand because of its shortage of wood pellets, exacerbated by rains and port congestions , that has prompted suppliers to focus on clearing backlog. The new lines will hence also help Vietnam to provide more supply to South Korea. Uniexport aims to complete most of its expansion projects, which are spread across the country and total 412,500 t/yr of wood pellets, by the fourth quarter of 2025. Uniexport has also planned to have an additional 315,000 t/yr of capacity by the end of 2026, with the overall expansion set to take its total production capacity to 1.46mn t/yr (see table) . The new plants will use varying types of feedstocks, such as sawdust from sawmills, and wood chips from lumber processing activities, depending on the location of the facility. Tam Sen aims to complete the construction of its new wood pellet mill in Binh Duong in southern Vietnam by September 2025. The wood pellet factory will have a 80,000 t/yr production capacity and will mainly use wood residue from sawmills as feedstock for pellet manufacturing, said Tam Sen's factory director, Mai Ly. The expansion will take its total production capacity to 380,000 t/yr. Meanwhile, Japanese energy company eRex has also started up the 150,000 t/yr Tuyen Quang pellet factory in northern Vietnam in March, with plans to build up to 20 wood pellet factories in the coming years. By Joshua Sim New pellet production capacity t Region of Vietnam Plant Location Operational Annual supply capacity Estimated capacity 2025 2026 Central UNE Gia Lai Gia Lai 1Q2025 150,000 150,000 150,000 HDV Daklak M'Drak Daklak 4Q2025 150,000 37,500 150,000 Southern Unifor Renewables Vung Tau 4Q2025 120,000 30,000 120,000 Northern UNE Phu Tho Phu Tho 1Q2025 120,000 120,000 120,000 UNE Nghi Son Thanh Hoa 3Q2025 150,000 75,000 150,000 UNE Bac Giang Bac Giang 4Q2026 150,000 - 37,500 Sub-total 412,500 727,500 Source: Uniexport Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan to develop geothermal power under net zero plan

16/04/25

Japan to develop geothermal power under net zero plan

Osaka, 16 April (Argus) — The Japanese government is gearing up to develop geothermal energy, as the clean power can help to decarbonise the power sector with stable output, unlike weather-dependent renewables such as solar and wind. The trade and industry ministry Meti on 14 April launched a public-private council to discuss the development of next-generation geothermal energy, aiming to formulate a draft guideline, including capacity and cost targets, by around October this year. The new technology could lift the country's potential geothermal capacity to at least 77GW, compared with 23.5GW based on conventional methods, according to the council. The draft plan aims to establish the next-generation geothermal technology as early as the 2030s, to expand the use of the clean energy with competitive prices toward 2040, while tacking geological challenges, such as fault and complex geology, in Japan. Should the next-generation technology, such as closed-loop and supercritical geothermal, prove practical, Japan could utilise its potential, said Meti minister Yoji Muto on 15 April. Japan could consider exporting the next-generation technology globally, as it has around 70pc global share in conventional geothermal turbines, he added. The geothermal strategy is in line with the country's new strategic energy plan (SEP) , which was published in February, as well as prime minister Shigeru Ishiba's push to develop geothermal capacity. Ishiba had focused on less-utilised and high potential geothermal, as well as micro-hydropower, during his [campaign for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election](https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2608517) last year. The SEP assumes geothermal will account for 1-2pc of Japan's power mix in the April 2040-March 2041 fiscal year, which is relatively marginal compared with other renewables such as solar at 23-29pc, wind at 4-8pc, hydroelectric at 8-10pc and biomass at 5-6pc. But even the small share would be much higher compared with its actual share of 0.3pc of total power generation in 2023-24. Diversification of renewable power sources would be necessary to achieve Japan's plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60pc in 2035-36 and by 73pc in 2040-41, respectively, against the 2013-14 level, before achieving its net zero goal in 2050. Under the SEP, Tokyo aims to reduce its dependence on thermal power to 30-40pc in 2040-41 from 71pc in 2024. Japanese private firms are already involved in further developing domestic and overseas geothermal projects. Japanese utility Hokkaido Electric Power and construction firm Obayashi said on 16 April that they will study potential geothermal resources in Hokkaido during April 2025-February 2026, taking advantage of subsidies provided by state-owned energy agency Jogmec. Japanese battery maker Panasonic Energy said on 8 April that it has signed a power purchase agreement with regional utility Kyushu Electric Power's renewable arm Kyushu Mirai Energy to secure around 50GWh/yr of geothermal-based electricity from 1 April. The stable geothermal supplies, unaffected by weather, could double a renewable ratio in its domestic power consumption to around 30pc, Panasonic said. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Dozens of US coal plants eligible for MATS extension

15/04/25

Dozens of US coal plants eligible for MATS extension

Cheyenne, 15 April (Argus) — The White House has identified more than 60 fossil fuel-fired power plants that will have two extra years to comply with the more stringent mercury and air toxics standards (MATS) finalized in 2024. Under a proclamation signed by US president Donald Trump last week, the plants on the list will be able to operate under whatever existing mercury and air toxics standards they currently are subject to until 8 July 2029. That is two years after the compliance deadline put in place in May 2024. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules finalized last year tightened mercury and air toxics standards for coal- and oil-fired units by 67pc, included new emissions-monitoring requirements and added standards for lignite-fired coal plants that put them in line with those for other coal plants. EPA in March said it was reviewing the new standards and said companies could seek exemptions to the mercury rule and other emissions rules. Trump followed that up last week with a proclamation that certain generating facilities would be given a two-year exemption in complying with the 2024 rule. The White House released the list of exempt power plants late on 14 April. Most of the plants on the list are coal-fired generators, some of which were scheduled for retirement by the end of 2027. These include Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston plant and one unit of its Cumberland plant, as well as Vistra Energy's Kincaid, Baldwin and Newton plants and two coal units of Vistra's Miami Fort plant. The two coal units at Southern Company's Victor J Daniel plant in Mississippi also have been exempted from the new mercury and air toxics rules for two years. Southern had planned on retiring those units by the end of 2027, but in February, the Mississippi Public Service Commission approved two special contracts that were expected to need unit 2 of the Daniel plant and possibly a unit of a natural gas plant to run into the 2030s. Some other coal plant units owned by Southern, TVA and Vistra also are now exempt from the July 2027 mercury and air toxics compliance deadline. So are some plant units owned by East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), NRG, Ameren and Entergy. At least two natural gas plant units — unit 5 of Southern's Plant Barry and City Utilities of Springfield's John Twitty Energy Center, which has coal and natural gas generation — are exempt from the July 2027 deadline. So is unit 5 of Entergy's RS Nelson plant, which runs on petroleum coke. Essentially all of the other units in the White House's list are coal units, including Otter Tail Power's Big Stone and Coyote Station plants in North Dakota. Otter Tail said it had requested the exemptions "to avoid making unnecessary expenditures" if EPA decides to roll back the 2024 rule. EKPC said it was "grateful" its request to exempt the Spurlock and Cooper coal-fired power plants in Kentucky was granted and that the company "will continue to operate the plants in accordance with all market and environmental rules." NRG said it was still reviewing the order, but did not expect it to have any effect on its plans. TVA, Southern, Vistra and owners of other power plants given compliance extensions did not respond to requests for comment. By Courtney Schlisserman Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Bio-LNG could boom by early 2030s under IMO deal

14/04/25

Bio-LNG could boom by early 2030s under IMO deal

London, 14 April (Argus) — Compliance with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) newly agreed global greenhouse gas (GHG) two-tier pricing mechanism will require LNG-powered ships to transition to bio-LNG by 2029 under the encouraged 'direct compliance' tier, or by 2033 for the minimum 'base target' tier, or else potentially incur heavy costs. The pricing mechanism was approved by IMO delegates on 11 April in London. Formal adoption will be decided in October, at the next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting, when a two-thirds majority vote will be required. The text says ships must reduce their fuel intensity by a "base target" of 4pc in 2028 (see table) against 93.3g CO2e/MJ, the latter representing the average GHG fuel intensity value of international shipping in 2008. This gradually tightens to 30pc by 2035. The text defines a "direct compliance target", that starts at 17pc for 2028 and grows to 43pc by 2035. Well-to-wake emissions for LNG diesel-type engines at dual fuel slow speed are equal to 76.08g CO2e/MJ, an 18.4pc emission reduction from the IMO's 2008 benchmark. In theory, this means the average LNG-vessel is compliant with the IMO's scheme until 2029 under both maximum and minimum tiers, or until 2033 under the base target. Waste-based bio-LNG carries a GHG intensity of between 30 and -100g CO2e/MJ depending on feedstock and production, which translates to between 68.09-206.4pc GHG emissions savings, making it compliant across all tiers. However, the uptake of bio-LNG may be capped. Many LNG-capable vessels run on dual-fuel engines, meaning ship-owners may be more inclined to adopt biodiesel, ammonia or other diesel-engine applicable fuels, depending on price levels and other real-world drawbacks. The pricing mechanism establishes a levy for excessive emissions at $380 per tonne of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) for ships compliant with the 'base' target, called Tier 2. For ships in Tier 1 — those compliant with the base target but that still have emission levels higher than the direct compliance target — the price was set at $100/tCO2e. Instead of physically transitioning to a greener fuel, ships could meet targets using 'surplus units', which will be allocated to over-compliant vessels equal to their positive compliance balance, expressed in tCO2e, and valid for two years after emission. Ships then will be able to use the surplus units in the following reporting periods, transfer to other vessels as a credit, or voluntarily cancel as a mitigation contribution. This could give rise to an entirely new ticket market or emissions trading scheme (ETS) common in many European markets for other transport fuel sectors. LNG vessels accounted for more than 2pc of the active global shipping fleet as of October last year, according to energy industry coalition SEA-LNG, but make up the majority of new-build alternative marine vessel orders over the next 10 years. By Madeleine Jenkins IMO GHG reduction targets Year Base Target Direct Compliance Target 2028 4% 17% 2029 6% 19% 2030 8% 21% 2031 12% 25% 2032 17% 30% 2033 21% 34% 2034 26% 39% 2035 30% 43% Source: IMO Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan’s Renova boosts renewable power sales in March

14/04/25

Japan’s Renova boosts renewable power sales in March

Tokyo, 14 April (Argus) — Japanese renewable energy developer Renova's electricity sales rose in March from a year earlier, according to data published by the company on 11 April. Renova sold around 256GWh of renewable electricity in March, including solar, biomass, and geothermal. This is up by around 26pc from the same month in 2024. Electricity sales generated by biomass-fired power plants totalled around 222GWh in March. Ronova's biomass-fired power capacity was 395GW with six plants at the end of March. The company sells electricity from the 75MW Sendai Gamo plant, the 75MW Kanda plant, the 75GW Omaezaki Kou plant, and the 75MW Tokushima Tsuda plant under Japan's feed in tariff (FiT) scheme. Electricity generated by the 75MW Ishinomaki Hibarino plant and the 21MW Akita plant is sold under the county's feed in premium (FiP) scheme, based on long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Renova delayed the start-up of the 50MW Karatsu plant in southern Japan's Saga prefecture, which is expected to generate up to 350GWh/yr of electricity, from March to September 2025 because of technical issues. The plant will sell electricity under the FiP scheme based on a long-term PPA with its client from the beginning of commercial operations, according to the company. By Takeshi Maeda Renova's biomass-fired electricity sales in March 2025 Capacity (MW) Electricity sales (GWh) Start of operations Akita 21 13 Jul-16 Ishinomaki Hibarino 75 37 Mar-24 Sendai Gamo 75 51 Nov-23 Tokushima Tsuda 75 41 Dec-23 Omaezaki Kou 75 30 Jan-25 Kanda 75 50 Jun-21 Total 395 222 Source : Renova Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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