Biomass start-ups lift Japan's Renova April power sales

Japanese renewable power developer Renova's electricity sales doubled on the year in April, following the start-up of three biomass power plants in the past six months.

Renova sold 199,601MWh of electricity — including solar, biomass and geothermal — in April, double the 99,857MWh a year earlier, the company announced on 13 May.

The 75MW Sendai Gamo plant in northeastern Miyagi prefecture started operations in November 2023 and produced 40,753MWh in April. The 74.8MW Tokushima Tsuda plant in western Tokushima prefecture, which was commissioned in December 2023, generated 10,870MWh in April. The 75MW Ishinomaki Hibarino plant in Miyagi began normal runs in March and supplied 49,495MWh in April.

Renova plans to add 124.9MW biomass-fired capacity in the April 2024-March 2025 fiscal year, with the 75MW Omaezaki plant in central Shizuoka city scheduled to begin commercial operations in July, followed by the 49.9MW Karatsu plant in southern Saga city in December. Omaezaki is currently conducting trial runs and Karatsu is under construction. The additions will increase Renova's biomass-fired capacity to 445MW.

By Takeshi Maeda