<article><p class="lead">Japanese utility Chubu Electric Power has begun construction of the 7.1MW biomass power plant at Minokamo in central Japan's Gifu prefecture, taking advantage of the country's feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme. </p><p>The Minokamo biomass power plant — which is 40pc owned by Chubu, 30pc by local forestry firm Sago and 30pc by Japanese finance firm Mitsubishi HC Capital — is scheduled to start commercial operations in October 2023. </p><p>The new power plant is designed to burn an unspecified volume of wood chips, made mainly from locally-supplied unused timber from forest thinning. Electricity produced at the site will be supplied to the local grid firm Chubu Electric Power Grid at fixed prices for 20 years under the FiT system. </p><p>Chubu has been gearing up to develop biomass power plants to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. The company is also part of a joint venture to build the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2298213">52.7MW Fukuyama biomass power plant</a> in western Japan's Hiroshima prefecture. The plant aims to begin commercial operation in May 2025. </p><p class="bylines">By Mariko Imai</p></article>
