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Report
No.250103 |
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- Domestic - |
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Mogami-machi Undertake Commitment to Woody Biomass Utilization Mogami-machi (town) of Yamagata Prefecture launched a verification test of a woody biomass energy system for the advancement of energy "chisan-chisho (local production for local consumption) movement. Chips from thinning are used for plastic greenhouse heating for raising of seedlings such as asparagus, and also used for an air and water heating at a welfare facility, in order to conserve and utilize the forest that constitutes 84% of the whole area. As oil prices reach record levels, the effort is a growing concern. This is a part of a project commissioned by the national government to make use of biomass resources such as timbers and livestock waste. Mogami-machi, along with Yamaguchi Prefecture, Aso-shi (city) of Kumamoto Prefecture and other four areas, is a site selected to conduct the trial for five years from 2005. "If we can turn abundant forest resources into energy, it will bring about an advantage" says Mr. Toshiaki Magara , a deputy director for Agriculture and Forestry Section of the city hall. The biomass energy system is mainly composed of a boiler and silo that stores chips. Thermal energy from the boiler is used for air and water heating at the health and welfare facility and heating at four plastic greenhouses that are adjacent to the system, covering an area of some 3,200 square meters in total. Chips are made from woods logged from privately owned forest in the town. During a peak period in winter, approximately three 4-ton truckloads of chips are consumed per day. Efforts will be made in further saving cost through the use of map information based on an aerial photo for efficient logging and the introduction of sophisticated equipment. The objective is to reduce the production cost for chips per cubic meter to 40% of the current level. At the plastic greenhouses, 80 members of Mogami-machi Asparagus Production Council raised seedlings earlier this year. The raising contained sowing in pots in April and setting in June. From this coming December, 14 farmers will grow Japanese flowering cherry "Keio-zakura" to help the establishment of the town as a production-area of the tree. Although the final cost has yet to be calculated, the system is less expensive than crude oil according to the officials. They intend to pass along the benefit of the cost saving to local farm households by, for example, reducing the usage fee for the plastic greenhouses. Mr. Yoshio Sato, an asparagus grower, says expectantly, "Soaring oil prices raise expectations for the system. It also helps to take care of forest that has been ill-maintained due to the aging population." |
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