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Japan’s 75MW Sodegaura biomass power plant starts up

  • Mercados: Biomass, Electricity
  • 09/07/25

The 75MW Sodegaura biomass-fired power plant started commercial operations on 8 July, after it was delayed from coming on line because of a silo fire in January 2023.

The plant in eastern Japan's Chiba prefecture is operated by Japanese gas company Osaka Gas' subsidiary Daigas Gas and Power Solution, and burns around 300,000 t/yr of wood pellets, mainly imported from southeast Asia. It is designed to generate up to 520GWh/yr of electricity, which will be sold under Japan's feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme at ¥24/kWh (16¢/kWh).

The plant was previously scheduled to come on line in February 2023, but the start-up was delayed by a fire in January that year. The fire happened during test runs at the plant, and the cause was likely the self-heating of wood pellets stored for more than six months in two silos.

Osaka Gas only managed to put the fire out completely in May 2023, and finished removing all remaining wood pellets from the silos in April 2024, as the pellets had absorbed sprayed water and swelled. The company has put in place safety measures after the incident.

Osaka Gas also operates the 75MW Hirohata biomass-fired power plant in Japan. The company also plans to start commercial operations at the 50MW Gobo plant in September this year.


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