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The Market for Biogas Plants in Japan and Opportunities for EU Companies

January 29, 2021

EU-JAPAN CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION - Head office in Japan
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EU-JAPAN CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION - Head office in Japan
EU-JAPAN CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION - OFFICE in the EU
Shirokane-Takanawa Station bldg 4F
Rue Marie de Bourgogne, 52/2
1-27-6 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0072, JAPAN
B-1000 Brussels, BELGIUM
Tel: +81 3 6408 0281 - Fax: +81 3 6408 0283 - TokyoOffice@eu-japan.gr.jp
Tel : +32 2 282 0040 –Fax : +32 2 282 0045 - office@eu-japan.eu
http://www.eu-japan.eu / http://www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu / http://www.een-japan.eu

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Contents
1.

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 6

2.

Scope of the Report .................................................................................................................................................. 93.

Market Framework Conditions............................................................................................................................... 10a.

Role of Biogas in Energy Mix .............................................................................................................................. 10b.

Political Strategy and Subsidies .......................................................................................................................... 11c.

Obstacles for biogas utilization .......................................................................................................................... 15

4.

i.

Obstacles in planning and grid access ............................................................................................................ 15ii.

Other obstacles............................................................................................................................................... 16

Market Situation ..................................................................................................................................................... 17a.

Volume................................................................................................................................................................ 17b.

Market Developments and Trends ..................................................................................................................... 18

5.

i.

Main Applications in Japan ............................................................................................................................. 18ii.

Main Processes in Japan ................................................................................................................................. 20

iii.

Plant examples ............................................................................................................................................... 21

Market Access......................................................................................................................................................... 23a.

Market access conditions ................................................................................................................................... 23b.

Distribution channels.......................................................................................................................................... 25c.

Regulations & Standards .................................................................................................................................... 26

6.

i.

Regulations ..................................................................................................................................................... 26

ii.

Standards ........................................................................................................................................................ 28

Major players .......................................................................................................................................................... 30a.

Competitors ........................................................................................................................................................ 30i.

Japanese planners and manufacturers of Biogas plants (selected) ............................................................... 30

ii.

Foreign planners and manufacturers of Biogas plants (examples) ................................................................ 32b.

Suppliers ............................................................................................................................................................. 34i.

Trading companies ......................................................................................................................................... 34ii.

Manufacturers of fermentation tanks ............................................................................................................ 35

iii.

Manufacturers of dryers................................................................................................................................. 36
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iv.

Manufacturers of CHP systems ...................................................................................................................... 36v.

Manufacturers of Microturbines .................................................................................................................... 37c.

Customers........................................................................................................................................................... 37i.

Municipalities ................................................................................................................................................. 37

ii.

Food industries ............................................................................................................................................... 37

iii.

Farmers ........................................................................................................................................................... 38d.
i.

Associations .................................................................................................................................................... 38ii.

National Institutes .......................................................................................................................................... 39

iii.

Universities ..................................................................................................................................................... 39e.

Installers/Operators ........................................................................................................................................... 39f.

Service and maintenance ................................................................................................................................... 40

7.

8.

Associations & Research Institutes..................................................................................................................... 38

Market Potentials and Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 40a.

Potentials ............................................................................................................................................................ 40b.

Challenges........................................................................................................................................................... 41c.

Recommendations.............................................................................................................................................. 42i.

General recommendations for a market entry: ............................................................................................. 42ii.

Systemic considerations and recommendations............................................................................................ 43

References .............................................................................................................................................................. 45

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List of Abbreviations
ANRE

Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

BOD

Biochemical oxygen demand

CHP

Combined Heat and PowerDS

Dry Substance

FIP

Feed-in Premium

FIT

Feed-in Tariff

GW

Gigawatts

ICT

Information and Communication Technology

JORA

Japan Organic Recycling Association

kWh

Kilowatt-hours

MAFF

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

METI

Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry

MoEJ

Ministry of the Environment, Japan

MoF

Ministry of Finance

MSW

Municipal Solid Waste

MW

Megawatts

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation

OCCTO

Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators

PKS

Palm kernel shells

PV

Photovoltaic

RSB

Round Table for Sustainable Biomaterials

RSPO

Round Table for Sustainable Oil

SPCSpecial purpose company

SS

Suspended Solids

T-N

Total Nitrogen

T-P

Total Phosphorus
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1. Executive Summary
The share of electricity generation from renewable energy sources in Japan has increased steadily over the past 5
years. This applies in particular to photovoltaics (PV) and biomass. But the role of Biogas in Japan’s energy mix, especially in comparison to other renewable energies such as solar energy, is still of little significance. Although the generation of biogas currently plays a subordinate role in Japan the biogas sector shows a positive development and current
policy strategies illustrate the increasing importance of biogas production in Japan.
As the Japanese electricity market is now largely liberalised a growing number of local electricity companies are starting to sell energy to end-users. In many areas (rural and urban), there is a high interest from customers and new energy
companies to offer “green” electricity. Besides the fluctuating renewable energies such as wind or photovoltaics (PV),especially biogas is a suitable renewable energy source to deliver a stable supply with “green” power and can in combination with other renewables provide balancing power source. For 2030, the Japanese government is aiming for a
22-24 % share of renewable energies in the electricity mix. Therefore, bioenergy is also expected to play an importantrole in the future.
In order to achieve this goal, the Japanese government introduced several strategies such as the 6th Strategic Energy
Plan (expected to be released in 2021) with the aim of covering carbon through biomass, setting basic plans for biomass utilization in all prefectures and strengthening international competitiveness in the biomass sector. Also the
Biomass Industrialisation Strategy" (already introduced in 2012) strives to industrialize and commercialize the use of
biomass and to introduce efficient collection and transport systems. The “5th Strategic Energy Plan” (released in 2015)
lists biomass as an important source of energy to stimulate regional economic activity, particularly in rural areas ofJapan.
The support for the feeding of electricity produced from biomass has remained almost constant over the last 6 years,
which means a good planning security for the economic operation of biogas plants in Japan. For biogas, this feed-in
tariff is 39 JPY/kWh, which is approx. 0.31 €/kWh. Japan has also decided to introduce a feed-in-premium (FIP) scheme
for renewable power sources from April 2022. The new mechanism will allow renewable power producers to sell theirelectricity in a spot market at a premium to wholesale prices.
Currently limited access in several (and especially rural) regions in Japan for renewable electricity generation plants tothe electricity transmission grid is considered one of the main factors hampering the growth of renewable energy. But
energy experts are increasingly pointing out that in particular the conversion of bioenergy (e. g. biogas, solid biomass)can be used very well for grid stabilization due to its flexibility in the generation of electricity and its permanent availability. Solutions to overcome this obstacle include recalculations of the current grid situation, reinforcements of theelectricity networks, the introduction of smart grids and the controllability of biogas plants and thus their net strengthening effect. This requires above all a stronger cooperation between biogas plant and network operators as well as
raising awareness in local and national policy.
In 2019, 221 biogas plants with a total capacity of approx. 85 MW were operating. Compared with some European
countries (e.g. Germany with approx. 9,500 biogas plants and a total capacity of approx. 5 GW), this number seems tobe very small. However, keeping in mind that the Japanese biogas market is still in its starting phase and current
strategies of the Japanese government and subsidy programmes are going to pave the way for biomass technologies
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as an important energy source for reaching the Japanese climate targets, the biogas market is expected to grow significantly within this decade.
Feedstock trends are shifting from the traditional livestock excreta and sewage sludge to a composite of the latter andfood waste including industrial waste and food scraps. In urban areas there is a potential growth market within this
sector.
The main substrates in Japan for use in biogas plants are:•Food Waste: currently mainly collected in the food industry, restaurants, and (partly) by collection initiativesof municipalities•

Livestock manure: Livestock farming plays a major role in the Hokkaido and Kyushu regions, but also in someother parts of the main island Honshu. Currently (2019) 90 % of livestock manure in Japan is composted. If
digested, livestock manure from cattle, pigs and poultry would have a high potential to generate electricity(with a potential of approx. 1.65 GW) and organic fertiliser as well. The total number of agriculture-based
biogas plants in Japan is estimated at 100 facilities, of which around 70 are located in Hokkaido alone.

•

Sewage sludge: Since May 2015, the obligation to recycle sewage sludge as fuel or fertiliser has been in place.
Currently only 5 % of wastewater treatment includes fertilising of the sewage sludge. In 2018, 104 wastewater
treatment plants operated biogas digesters.

The biogas market is characterised by two different types of fermentation processes, wet and dry digestion. Digesters
in Japan tend to be small in size sometimes even with small capacities for a biogas plant power of 50 kW. One reason
for these small sizes is the virtual absence of larger municipal solid waste processing biogas plants. Nearly 80 % ofwaste collected in Japan is incinerated rather than recycled. Another reason lies in the fact that several grid operators
only allow electricity feed-in with a limited capacity for new biogas plants.
For European companies deciding to do business in Japan, there are four ways to set up operations: A sales agent (thiscould also be a Japanese partner), a representative office in Japan, establishing a Japanese branch or an incorporation.
Especially for SMEs in the beginning, a partnership with a domestic player is a good way for a market entry. Such apartnership can take various forms: arrangements for the collection of feedstock arrangements, technology alliances,
joint ventures or value chain alliances. Ideally, these partners belong to the biogas sector such as plant manufacturers(incl. planning service providers) and constructing companies. Many of these companies already utilize technologies
and components made by foreign manufacturers for their biogas plants, as for example combined heat and power
generators (CHP). These partners can also act as distributors for biogas plants as well as a local agent or distributor tosell in foreign markets. Trading houses are also considered as further potential partners.
For a successful market entry also a membership in associations e.g. joining the Japan Organic Recycling Association(JORA) is recommended in order to get contacts to multipliers from industry and municipalities in order to access anextensive network, including project developers, technology providers, consultants and engineers. Visits of expert fairs
in the biomass sector (such as the regularly organised Biomass Expo fair) may be helpful to get in contact with potential
customers and partners.

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The legal framework of sustainability criteria for biomass fuels, compared for example to the EU, is still not sufficiently
developed in Japan. many parts of the framework of sustainability criteria for biomass fuels are still in discussion. The
current discussion focuses e. g. on new standards of environment, society, labour, and governance as well as on third
party certifications giving a proof on supply chains of main products (such as bio-substrates, general wood, palm oiletc.) along the entire value chain. The Ministry for Economic, Trade and Industry (METI) has currently established aworking group for discussing further assessment standards for sustainability because of the rapid increase of biomass
fuel import since last few years.
For a market entry several steps are recommended as for example to enter into a partnership with domestic players.
This is recommended not only for sales, installation and service/maintenance activities but also for dealing with Japanese regulations and standards as well as local and national subsidy programmes. Establishing contacts to biomass/biogas networks between farmers, local associations and authorities and Non-governmental organizations/associations
can also be a recommendable step for successful marketing in Japan.
The utilisation of food waste possibly mixed with co-substrates from agriculture seems to be the most promising application for biogas plants. As a homogenous quality and composition of the substrates cannot be guaranteed and it
may happen that in future other input substrates (possibly as co-substrates) may be used biogas plants should beflexible to accept a variety of input substrates as in most cases.
Besides electricity generation for feed-in also alternative options should be considered. Because in some regions ofJapan grid operators may limit the power for feed-in, it also should be considered to use electricity and heat locallyand only feed-in a part of the generated electricity. This also applies to the utilisation of heat (and possibly also forcovering the cooling demand) for coverage of own consumption (not only for the biogas plant itself but also for surrounding potential consumers such as farms, industry, sewage plants, settlements etc.) In addition, the sale of fermentation residues as fertiliser (in many cases by saving disposal costs for the residues) can be a solution to improve
economic efficiency of the biogas plant.
Biogas plant manufacturers from Europe should also consider that the agricultural land area available for crops (e. g.
used as co-substrate together with cattle manure) is very small due to Japan’s topographical situation. In addition,
Japan has a small-scale farm structure, which results in smaller biogas plants (in average approx. 350-400 kW) in comparison e.g. to Europe. A still missing collection system for municipal bio-waste is also a barrier to market development.
In the industrial (such as the food industry) or the gastronomic sector collecting systems for biowaste are alreadyestablished or planned to be introduced in the near future.
This report, together with the basics about Japan and its political developments in the field of renewable energies,
shows that it is possible to produce biogas profitably from different substrates such as food waste, manure or plant
residues in Japan in the long term. It has clear ecological advantages over other disposal methods for food, like theform of waste disposal by incineration that is frequently used in Japan. In the long term, a significant expansion of theJapanese biogas market can be assumed, especially in regard to the climate policy pursued, since the technology ofbiogas production has an unspeakable positive added value for national electricity generation and in the future, whenthe expansion of wind power and PV in Japan is more advanced, also to provide balancing power.

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2. Scope of the Report
The report shall give EU companies an overview on the biogas market in Japan and business opportunities as well as
challenges.
In this report, the term “Biomass” includes organic material from plants, food or animals suitable to be used as fuel.
“Biogas” means gaseous fuel, especially methane, produced by the fermentation of organic matter. Biogas includes
biomethane from livestock manure, energy crops, crop residues and sewage.
After a short framing on the role of biogas in the energy mix, energy policy of Japan and other framework conditions
for biogas utilization in chapter 3, the current market situation and technology trends are analysed in chapter 4. Relevant information for market access such as distribution channels, regulations and standards are described in chapter
5. The main market players are introduced in chapter 6. The potential and challenges for EU companies in the Japanese
Biogas market are summarized in chapter 7, closing with some recommendations on market entry.
Information for this report was gathered from relevant publications and media (also in Japanese), e. g. publications by
Japanese ministries, government bodies, research institutes, associations as well as expert journals, economic journals,
company reports, company websites, press releases, newspapers and statistical websites. In addition, some interviews
were conducted with Japanese experts in writing or via phone and web meetings.

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3. Market Framework Conditions
a. Role of Biogas in Energy Mix
The share of electricity generation from renewable energy sources in Japan has increased steadily over the past 5
years. This applies in particular to PV and biomass, which accounted for 2.7 % of energy supply from Renewables infiscal year 2019 (Figure 1). The installed capacity of biomass plants in Japan (with 4.5 GW in 2019) is still rather small
compared with Solar PV (with a total of 54.6 GW), but has shown a steady increase during the three years (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Share of Renewable energy supply in Japan1

1

Based on: Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies ISEP (2020): “Share of Renewable energy supply in Japan”.
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Figure 2: Cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy systems in Japan 2
Biogas accounts for only around 1.5 % of biomass energy in Japan (see Figure 6 in chapter 4.a.), while the share isapprox. 10 % in the EU.3 In Japan, biogas is almost completely used for electricity generation only. By the end of fiscal
year 2019, a total capacity of approx. 85 MW have been operating under the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme4 which is a
40 % increase compared with the 57 MW capacity operating under FIT scheme in 2016.5 This positive development
and current policy strategies and subsidies illustrate the increasing importance of biogas in Japan.

b. Political Strategy and Subsidies
5th Strategic Energy Plan (2018)
Since the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami resulting in the meltdown of atomic powerplant in Fukushima in
2011, the Japanese government's strategy for shaping the energy mix has changed. The “5th Basic Energy Plan” of the
Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) issued in 2015 aims at a 22-24 % share of renewable energies in theelectricity mix (Figure 3). In addition to PV and wind power, biomass is seen as an important future source of energy
to stimulate regional economic activity, particularly in rural areas of Japan.6 According to the “5th Basic Energy Plan”,
biomass is to contribute a share of 3.7 to 4.6 % in the electricity mix in 2030, which corresponds to a share of almost
20 % of the sum of all renewable energies. The 6th Strategic Energy Plan is currently under discussion and expected tobe released in spring 2021.

2

IEEJ (2018): “Economic and Energy Outlook of Japan through FY 2019”.
European Union (2020): “Brief on biomass for energy in the European Union”.
4
Biomass Industrial Society Network (2020): “Biomass White Paper 2020”.
5
ANRE (2016): 再生可能エネルギー導入拡大と バイオマス発電.
6
Fuji Research Institute, Kitagawa H. (2015): “Rural Revitalization through Wood Biomass Energy”.

3

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Figure 3: Energy Mix in Japan before and after the Fukushima disaster and 2030 expansion target7

Feed-in Tariff (FIT)An important instrument for achieving the expansion goals is the Feed-in Tariff. The tariff paid for feeding electricity
produced from biomass in the grid has remained almost constant over the last 6 years, which means a good planningsecurity for the economic operation of biogas plants in Japan. The FIT for biogas is currently 39 JPY/kWh, which isapprox. 0.31 €/kWh (Figure 4).

7

University of Tokyo, GrasPP, Arima J. (2018): “Japan’s Energy and Climate Strategy”.
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Feed-in tariff from 2014 to 2021
39

40
39

40
39

40
39

40
39

40
39

40
39

40
39

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

24

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24

24

21

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21

21

13

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13

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Wood unused ≤20.000 kW

Wood unused >20.000 kW

Wood and agriculture waste ≤20.000 kW

Wood and agriculture waste >20.000 kW

Wood (building waste)

Methane fermentation (biogas)

Figure 4: Feed-in tariff in Japan for electricity generated from Biomass for the years 2014 to 20218
The model for the FIT system in Japan was the “Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz” (Renewable Energy Sources Act), short
EEG, in Germany. Same as in the EEG, the FIT is paid over a period of 20 years. A major difference to the German EEG,
however, is that the FIT is paid regardless of the use of the heat generated. In Germany, combined heat and power
use is a precondition to become eligible for the FIT for biomass.
Japan has decided to introduce a feed-in-premium (FIP) scheme for renewable power sources from April 2022. The
new mechanism will allow renewable power producers to sell their electricity in a spot market at a premium to wholesale prices. This is aimed to expand renewable power capacity without subsidiaries, encourage competition and reducethe cost burden on consumers under the current FIT system. But the market-based program will probably exclude
biomass, as well as geothermal and small-scale hydro and solar power projects, which will continue to be financed by
the existing FIT system.989Based on ANRE (2020): 固定価格買取制度 and JETRO (2015): “Japan’s Biomass Market Overview“.
Shulman Advisory (2020): “FIT, FIP and the Future of Renewables in Japan”.
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Biomass Utilization Plan (MAFF)
According to the basic plan of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) for biomass utilization, there
are three goals to be achieved until 2025.10(1) Realizing Circular Society- Covering 2.6 million metric ton of carbon through biomass- Setting utilization targets of each biomass sector(2) Revitalization of farming and fisheries- Setting basic plans for biomass utilization in all prefectures as well as in 600 districts (one third of thewhole districts in Japan)(3) Strengthening international competitiveness- Aiming the market growth to 500 billion JPY
Biomass Industrialization Strategy (2012)
The "Biomass Industrialization Strategy", already introduced in 2012, comprises various initiatives for the industrialization and commercialization of biomass use. The strategy also includes the recycling of waste biomass through efficient collection and transport systems, the introduction of management systems in agriculture and forestry to ensurea stable supply of raw materials for producers, the introduction of a collection system for food waste by category andthe promotion of recycling through methane gasification, conversion to solid fuels and combined use of sewage sludge
and livestock excreta.
In the field of sewage sludge recovery, the promotion of recycling via bio-gasification, combined use with other typesof biomass (e. g. food waste) and the production of solid fuels in sewage treatment plants (in the form of regional
biomass recovery centres) is planned.11
Biomass Industry Cities
Since 2013, seven Ministries in Japan have chosen “biomass industry cities” and the total number of selected districts
reached 94 in 2020.12 These municipalities make effort not only to achieve energy self-efficiency, but also to revitalize
local economies and industries. The list of districts is available on the website of MAFF:
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/biomass/b_sangyo_toshi/attach/pdf/b_sangyo_toshi-98.pdf
Half of the districts are concentrated in northern part of Japan.

10

MAFF (2020): “Basic Plan for the Promotion of Biomass Utilization”.
MAFF (2016): “Basic Plan for the Promotion of Biomass Utilization“.
12
Ikeyama Shigeyoshi of MAFF (2020): “Biomass Industrial City”.
11

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c. Obstacles for biogas utilizationi. Obstacles in planning and grid access
The current limited access to the electricity transmission grid for renewable electricity generation plants is considered
as one of the factors hampering the growth of renewable energy in Japan. In several regions of Japan large utilities
that also own the transmission grid regularly refuse to buy electricity from solar, wind and biomass plants because ofa lack of free capacity in the grid.
In Japan, grid connection is approved according to a "first come, first served" principle, regardless of the type of electricity source (renewable energy or large fossil fuel power plants). Accordingly, the transmission capacity of the electricity grid will be ensured in the order applications are submitted. Even if the planned and built power generation is
not in operation, the capacity is included in the calculation. In order to assess whether there is still free capacity in the
power lines, the situation of a power failure must also be taken into account. For this reason, the maximum transmission capacity with two transmission lines is only 50 % (with three or more transmission lines, this can be up to 70 %).
Among other reasons, in some cases this situation prevents the connection of renewable energy installations. Several
renewable energy suppliers are still waiting to be connected.13
Another possible obstacle is that several grid operators only allow electricity feed-in with a limited capacity for new
biogas plants. In some regions, for example, only biogas plants up to a power of 50 kW can be connected to the publicgrid.14
Planners of Biogas plants are increasingly pointing out that in particular the conversion of bioenergy (as biogas andsolid biomass) can be used very well for grid stabilization due to its flexibility in the generation of electricity and its
permanent availability. This makes it increasingly difficult for grid operators to refuse or delay the grid connection.15
In order to significantly increase the supply of energy from renewable sources - as advocated in the government's
Basic Energy Plan - both the government and the energy industry must maximize the efficient use of the transmission
grid. As a first measure to strengthen and stabilize the Japanese transmission grid in the future, the independent"Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators" (OCCTO) was founded in 2015. This is responsible for monitoring and controlling the supply and demand of electricity. Its duties include planning work in orderto sustainably promote interregional interconnection and frequency conversion (as for the electricity grid Japan uses
2 different frequencies: 50 Hz in Eastern Japan and 60 Hz in Western Japan). Other solutions include the introductionof smart grids and the recalculation of the grid situation. In the Tohoku (Aomori, Akita, Iwate) region, up to 60 % moreintake capacity is expected to be used for feed-in to the public electricity grid.16 In addition, the extension of an existing

ANRE (2018): 再エネの主力電源化を実現するために.
World Biogas Association (2019): “Market Report Japan”.
15
Interviews in December 2020 with experts from the biogas sector in Japan and Germany.
16
Agora Energiewende (2019): “Integrating renewables into the Japanese power grid by 2030”.

13

14

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transmission line between the Tohoku region and Hokkaido allowing the transportation of additional 300 MW electrical power from renewable energy sources in Hokkaido to larger demand centres in Tohoku and Tokyo.17

ii. Other obstacles
Digesters in Japan tend to be small in size. The average installed capacity of electricity generation plants is 350 kW,
which is smaller when compared to some of the other industrialized countries as for example in the EU. One reason isthat there are almost no larger municipal solid waste processing biogas plants. Nearly 80 % of waste collected in Japanis incinerated rather than recycled.
Biogas plant manufacturers from Europe should also consider that Japanese livestock feedstock largely depends onimports as agricultural land area available for crops is small. Only dairy cattle farmers in Hokkaido harvest grass andcorn from their own grounds. Approx. 60 % of cattle farms and almost 1/3 of all biogas plants in Japan are located in
Hokkaido.18
Another fact to be considered is that digestate in most places in Japan needs further treatment: solids are composted
while nitrogen and phosphorus are removed from the liquids before they are released to rivers or public sewers.
The largely missing collection system for municipal bio-waste and the industrial sector already heavily developed by
Japanese companies are also a barrier to market development in the Japanese biogas sector.

17

Genscape International (2019): “Is the New Capacity on the Hokkaido-Tohoku Interconnector Having an Impact on Power
Prices?”.
18
The Japan Association of Rural Solutions for Environmental Conservation and Resource Recycling: “Database for biomass utilization technology information”.
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4. Market Situationa. Volume
As Figure 5 shows, the installed capacity of bioenergy plants shows an almost steady annual increase of approx. 1113 % since the year 2014.

Figure 5: Installed Capacity of Bioenergy in Japan19
The market research institute Fuji Keizai determined an annual growth rate of the market for biogas plants in Japan ofapprox. 10% for the years 2018-2020.20
In 2019, there were 221 biogas plants with a total capacity of approx. 85 MW approved under the FIT scheme.21
With the aim to introduce more biomass and to ensure a stable procurement and sustainability a growth from 3.5 GW(2017) up to 7.3 GW (2030) installed power for biomass use is expected by METI. The expected increase of Biogas
capacity is even higher (from 0.05 GW in 2017 up to 0.16 GW in 2030) (see Figure 6).

19 Renewable Energy Institute based on METI, ANRE (2020): “Status of the special law on usage of new energy by electric companies in FY2013” and METI, ANRE (2020): “Website for the information disclosure on Feed-in-Tariff”.
20
Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer in Japan (2017): “Zielmarktanalyse Japan 2017” based on Fuji Keizai Group (2015).
21
Based on Biomass Industrial Society Network with data from ANRE (2020): “Biomass White paper 2020”.

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Figure 6: Installed capacity for biomass utilization22

b. Market Developments and Trends
i. Main Applications in JapanAs a first application, anaerobic sludge digestion in Japan began in 1932, and is now used in more than 300 sewage
treatment plants industrial wastewater treatment.23 After the Biomass Nippon Strategy started in 2002 the utilisationof livestock wastes for digestion became popular, followed by the treatment of food wastes and the organic fractionof Municipal Solid Waste (MSW).
Currently feedstock and application trends in Japan are shifting from the traditional livestock excreta and sewage
sludge, to a composite of sewage sludge and food waste including industrial waste and food scraps. High-rise buildings
with “urban biogas systems” that recycle food waste are being implemented. This is seen as a potential growth market
within the sector.
Food Waste:
Back in 2009, only about 27 % of the total food waste was collected and used in Japan. Now, most of the waste fromfood production is processed into fertiliser and feed.
However, Japan wastes around 6.5 Million Tons of Food Per Year.24 Based on a survey conducted by MAFF, 20 % ofwaste found in garbage is considered to be food waste.25

22

ANRE, Yamazaki, T. (2018): “Japan’s Renewable Energy Policy”.
Li Y., Kobayashi T. (2010): “Applications and New Developments of Biogas Technology in Japan”.
24
Nippon.com (2018): “Mottainai!” Japan Wastes Around 6.5 Million Tons of Food Per Year”.
25
Skinner, M., Zenbird (2019): “Japan’s food waste problems and solutions”.
23

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In order to reduce unused food waste and to recycle it, the Act on the Promotion of the Recycling of Recyclable Food
Resources, known as Food Recycling Act, was enacted in 2000 (revised in 2007: According to this act food waste is tobe recycled primarily as raw materials for animal feed and fertilizer; The Act was again revised in 2015 with the goal
to further reduce the amount of food waste produced and enhance recycling [animal feed, fertilizer, methane]).26
Food waste is also part of the Japanese Biomass Industrialization Strategy that includes (among others) measures topromote bio-gasification technologies, the creation of a food-waste collection system, the implementation of recycling
through methane gasification, solid fuel conversion and combined utilization with sewage sludge and animal waste,
as well as application of FIT scheme.
By means of the methanation of food waste, which is less suitable as feed or fertilizer, the utilization rate was aimed
to increase from 27 % in 2009 to 40 % in 2020.27
Of 170 registered food waste recycling plants in Japan, 108 are only composting the waste, followed by 55 for animal
feed production.28 According to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MoEJ), 42 biogas plants are operating using
food waste from households and industry.29
Food waste is not generally collected and treated separately in Japan. But in the food industry, restaurants, municipalities, etc., an extensive system of food waste collection and recycling has been established. The Japanese Food
Waste recycling law limits the food recycling method to feed, fertilizers, fuel (biogas and carbonization) and oils & fats.
Food waste from the restaurant industry is often not applicable to recycling for the use of fertilizer or animal feed due
the difficulty of separation by categories and hygiene management. This kind of waste is better suited for methanation
which does not require a strict separation for further use. Food waste is suitable for methanation as it generates anextremely larger amount of biogas than other biomasses such as manure. By cutting the costs of disposing of foodwaste It may also lead to new sources of income for restaurants and food industry.
When it comes to municipal waste, Japan generally only distinguishes between flammable and non-flammable waste.
Several communities in Japan now started with collection systems for domestic food-waste. A few examples are:1) Toyama Green Food Recycle (https://tgfr.net/) in Toyama City30- food waste max. 40t per day from:• 15,000 households• 140 supermarkets, convenience stores, hotels• 70 manufacturing plants

26

EU-Japan Centre (2015): “Waste Management and Recycling in Japan”.
MAFF (2012): “Reference 6 Biomass Policies and Assistance Measures in Japan”.
28
World Biogas Association (2019): “Market Report Japan”.
29
MoEJ: 全国のメタンガス化施設リスト.
27

30

MoEJ, Food Recycling Committee (2013): メタン発酵技術による食品リサイクル; Toyama Green Food Recycle (2021): 食品

廃棄物を資源エネルギーに変える; MoEJ: 先行導入事例その３：富山市の取組み.
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Generation of Biogas:
Ø electricity generation: approx. 600,000kW/yearØ gas sales to neighbouring Mitsubishi Rayon chemical plantØ sales of fertilizer2) Hokkaido Pref., Kita-Hiroshima City 31- food waste 17t per day- sewage sludge from water treatment plant 131 t/day
Co-digestion with mixing of sewage sludge with approx. 13 % of kitchen waste (weight ratio to sludge) doubled themethane output compared to the use of pure sludge.
Livestock manure:
In 2016, about 87 % of Japan’s annual production of 81 million t waste from farm animals was recycled, mostly bycomposting. In regions with too much waste to be composted, the aim of the Japanese government is to intensify the
production of biogas through methanation in the future. 2019 about 90 % of livestock manure in Japan was composted.
If digested, livestock manure from cattle, pigs and poultry would have a potential to generate 1.65 GW of energy forthe farms in addition to the organic fertiliser. The total number of agriculture-based biogas plants in Japan is estimatedat 100, of which around 70 are located in Hokkaido.32
Sewage sludge:
Since May 2015, the obligation to recycle sewage sludge as fuel or fertiliser has been in place in Japan. Approximately
63 % of the sewage sludge produced is used as building material in construction or as fertilizer. Therefore, besides
promoting the efficient utilization of biogas, the Japanese government also aims to promote recycling of excess sewage sludge into biogas, also to foster the circulation of resources in the region and to revitalize them.33 Despite thepromotion activities of the Japanese government in 2018, only 104 or 5 % of the approx. 2,200 wastewater treatment
plants in Japan have been operating biogas digesters.34
It is estimated that in total 93 MW of energy could be generated from adding on digesters to sewage treatment plants.

ii. Main Processes in Japan
In Japan both wet and dry digestion processes are used. While wet systems operate at low solid contents (<10 – 20 %of dry substance (DS)), dry systems operate at high solids (20 –> 40 % DS). The wet fermentation process is more complex and needs a higher amount of investment. On the other hand, the material flow is larger which leads to a higher

MoEJ - Food Recycling Committee (2013): メタン発酵技術による食品リサイクル.
World Biogas Association (2019): “Market Report Japan”.
33
MAFF (2016): “Basic Plan for the Promotion of Biomass Utilization”.
34
World Biogas Association (2019): “Market Report Japan”.
31

32

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throughput rate and a better efficiency. Wet digestion plants show improved energy balance and economic performance compared to dry systems. However, dry digestion plants offer several benefits, including greater flexibility inthe type of feedstock accepted, shorter retention times and reduced water usage.
An example of a dry process as it is used in Japan for biogas production from both industrial and municipal waste
treatment facilities is the Kurita DRANCO PROCESS™ which operates with the first vertical, dry methane fermentation
technology to be applied in Japan. It accepts diverse waste ranging from garbage and wastepaper from households,
food waste and used paper from office to organic residue and industrial waste, enabling higher levels of energy recovery than with the existing technology. Vertical dry methane fermentation enables stable treat of wastepaper which
has low water content and is difficult to treat with existing methane fermentation. An example of a biogas plant operating with this process is given in the following chapter (Ayagawa-cho plant).

iii. Plant examples
Wet fermentation process

J Biofood Recycling Yokohama Plant

J Bio Food Recycle Co. Ltd, a member of the JFE Engineering Group, started operation of a biogas plant near its headquarters in Yokohama City in August 2018. J Bio Food Recycle collects food waste from stations and station buildingsof the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). With a throughput of approx. 50 - 80t per day, food waste is fermented
in the plant to biomethane, which is used for electricity generation via gas engines. The nominal output of the plant is
1.8 MW. It is expected to generate approximately 11,000 MWh of electricity, which is equivalent to the consumptionof 3,000 households per year. Under the FIT system, the company sells excess electricity to Urban Energy Corporation(Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture), a new electricity company that is also a wholly owned subsidiary of JFE Engineering
Corporation.35

35

JFE Engineering (2017): “JFE Kankyo Enters Food Recycling Business - Start of First Cooperation with JR East Group”; Bioenergy
International (2017): “JR East to produce biogas from food waste”.
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www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu

Dry fermentation process

Ayagawa-cho Plant, Kagawa

A dry fermentation plant was completed by Fuji Clean Co., Ltd. 2018 in Kagawa Pref. (Shikoku Island). The
plant is using the Kurita Dranco process as described in the section above. Food and household waste, as
well as animal excrements, sewage sludge and paper waste are fermented at a daily volume of 73 tons. Two
gas CHPs generate a total electrical output of 740 kW.
The reactor is Japan’s largest vertical dry methane fermentation reactor (3,000 m3). The plant can be used
for approx. 150 Nm3 of biogas per ton of waste. Fuji Clean expects that the adoption of the technology will
reduce CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons per year.

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Figure 7: Kurita Dranco Process 36

5. Market Accessa. Market access conditions
Market entry has been facilitated after the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) came into force in February 2019. The EPA removes the vast majority of the € 1 billion of duties paid annually by EU companies exporting toJapan. Once the agreement is fully implemented, Japan will have scrapped customs duties on 97 % of goods imported
from the EU.37
When it comes to importing machinery into Japan, the importing company does not require any specific licenses oroperating permits. For the European company that wants to export to Japan, it is recommended to register with therespective European Commission customs office as a registered exporter (REX): https://customs.ec.europa.eu/rex-paui/html/manual/rex___create_pre_application.html#
In this way, the declaration of origin for plant components can be drawn up, if it meets the original. In the agreement
between the EU and Japan on an economic partnership (EU-Japan EPA), a declaration of the origin of a registeredexporter is provided as proof of preference when exporting from the EU.38 It is recommended to check the current

36

Kurita (2017): “Japan's Largest Dry Anaerobic Digestion Reactor Accepted for the Promotion of the Use of Biomass Energy”.
European Commission (2019): “EU-Japan trade agreement enters into force”.
38
Zoll (2019): “Das Freihandelsabkommen mit Japan tritt am 1. Februar 2019 in Kraft”.
37

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export regulations and procedures at the German customs office research.39 More information and a list of custom
brokers available depending on the arrival port/airport in Japan can be obtained from the Japan Customs Brokers
Association (JCBA): http://www.tsukangyo.or.jp/profile/english.html.
The EU-Japan EPA Helpdesk can also provide further information: https://www.eu-japan.eu/epa-helpdesk
To benefit from Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) preferential tariff rates, the product to be exported
need to be originating in Japan or the EU. More detailed information on the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement is given at the European Commission’s website at https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/july/tradoc_157116.pdf.
Public tenders:
As in most other countries, Japan requires a public tender for regional as well as international projects, which are
subject to the rules of the World Trade Organisation. This means that even the simplest project must include a construction company or consortium in addition to the owner.
A selection of databases: for public tenders in Japan:-

TED (Tenders Electronic Daily)
Tender Notice Portals at the EU-Japan Centre: https://www.eu-japan.eu/government-procurement/tendermonitoring-informations/tender-notice-portals

Foreign exporters will need to establish and maintain a strong business relationship with local partners to succeed inJapan. Companies hoping to enter the Japanese market should visit the country frequently to cultivate contacts andto better anticipate business conditions (see “recommendations” in chapter 7c).
While Japan has implemented strict entry restrictions for European countries due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,
some arrangements are being developed with several countries in Asia, which may make a visit from those countries
feasible.40 The actual entry restrictions to Japan can be seen on the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/p_pd/pds/page22e_000910.html.
It has been often said that business cost in Japan is higher than other countries and it could be a market barrier forforeign companies. However, in the last three decades, the Japanese government reduced the national standard corporation tax rate from 40% to 23.2%.41 The effective tax rate for corporations is approximately 30%, and this is almost
the same level as for example Germany.
Further information about the Japanese taxation system is available on the website of the "EU-Japan Tax & Public
Procurement Helpdesk" (https://www.eu-japan.eu/japan-tax-public-procurement-helpdesk).

39
40
41

Zoll: “Unternehmen”, refer to: https://www.zoll.de/DE/Unternehmen/unternehmen_node.html.
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (2020): “Japan - Country Commercial Guide”.
Ministry of Finance in Japan (2020): 法人課税に関する基本的な資料.
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www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu

b. Distribution channels
Japanese biogas plant providers use their contacts to regional/local administration or to feedstock suppliers. They areoften part of a company group such as Mitsubishi or Tsuchiya and can make use of the synergies within the group to
successfully diversify their business.
There several foreign biogas plant manufacturers active in Japan (such as PlanET Biogastechnik / Germany, HoSt / The
Netherlands or OWS / Belgium). Most of them have their own subsidiary or are cooperating with a partner in Japan(see 6.a.ii.).
Especially for the beginning, a partnership with domestic players is a good way to get started. Such a partnership cantake various forms: feedstock arrangements, technology alliances, joint ventures, value chain alliances. Ideally, thesepartners belong to the biogas sector such as plant manufacturers (that also offer planning services) and constructing
companies. These partners can also act as distributors for biogas plants.
For foreign companies deciding to set up an own business in Japan, there are basically four ways to set up own operations as shown in the table below.
Sales
Agent

Representative
officeJapanesebranchLimitation of activities-

Sales activities No
are not allowed

Registration

Not
re- Not required
quiredParty to contract-

Parentpany**Tax obligation--

ItselfDisclosure of Financial Infor- mation

Not requiredNot
re- Not required
quiredNotquiredLimitation of liabilities of share- holders (interest holders)

-

No

Yes

Required*com- Itself***

Incorporation
Kabushikigaisha Godogaisha
No

No

Required

Required

ItselfItselfItselfItself(nopassthrough)

Yes

re-

Table 1: Ways to set up operations in Japan (source: Japan Industry News, “Market Entry and Incorporating in Japan”, 2015)

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Trading houses are also considered as potential distribution partners. Although the traditional trading houses in Japanare still considered primarily as commodity traders, these companies have undergone major restructuring. In recent
years they have developed completely new foundations for their business, some of which include the bioenergy sector.
A selection of important trading houses is given under 6 b “Suppliers”.
It could be also useful to approach local companies in the Japanese market and ask them to include your products (e.g.
components for a biogas plant) into their portfolio.
Membership in associations (e. g. JORA - Japan Organic Recycling Association) can provide contacts to multipliers fromindustry and municipalities and access to an extensive network, including project developers, technology providers,consultants and engineers.

c. Regulations & Standards
i. Regulations
The table below lists up some other regulations which apply to the set-up and use of biogas plants.

Before installation

Law/Regulation

Overview

Responsible
Authorities

Wood

Livestock

Food

Waste Management andPublic Cleansing Act

A business or facility that transports
and deals with industrial biowaste isrequired to be authorized by local
governors.

MoEJ

X

X

X

Act on the Appropriate
Treatment and Promotionof Utilization of Livestock
ManureLivestock waste treatment facilities
with certain scales are required tocomply with building standards.

MAFF

Act on Promotion of Recycling and Related Activities
for Treatment of Cyclical
Food Resources

Food related businesses are required to control, reduce and recycle
food waste.

MAFF

Electricity Business Act

Powerplants over a certain scale are
required to be authorized by local
governors. In case of using boilers,
technicians must be elected.

METI

X

X

X

Act on the Rational Use ofEnergyEnergy consumption must be reported regularly.

METI

X

X

X

X

X

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DuringOperation

Law/Regulation

Overview

Responsible
Authorities

Wood

Livestock

Food

Air Pollution Control Act

There are standards for facilities
over a certain scale.

MoEJ

X

X

X

Noise Regulation Law

Dito

MoEJ

X

X

X

Vibration Regulation Act

Dito

MoEJ

X

X

X

Act on Improvement of Pollution Prevention Systems in
Specified Factories

Responsible persons for pollution
prevention must be selected.

METI

X

X

X

Industrial Safety and HealthAct

Qualified persons are required in facilities with boilers over a certain
scale.

MHLW

X

X

X

Fire Service Act

Qualified persons are required in facilities with fuel storages over 400L.

Fire and Disaster Management Agency

X

X

X

Heat Supply Business Act

In case of supplying heat over a certain scale(21GJ/h), it is required to
be authorized by METI.

METI

X

X

X

Disaster Prevention Planin the guideline for thermal power
plants based on the disaster prevention plan, it is written that each partof devices of thermal power plants(including biomass plants) must be
constructed not to damage theirfunctions seriously and to continue
the operation also in case of anearthquake

Cabinet Office,
METI

X

X

X

Water Pollution Prevention
Act

MoEJ

X

X

X

Offensive Odour Control Act

MoEJ

X

X

Fertilizer Regulation Act

MAFF

X

X

Table 2: Overview of main regulations being relevant for installation and operation of biogas plants in Japan42

42

NEDO (2017): “Biomass Energy Introducing Guidebook 4th Edition in 2017”.
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ii. Standards
Sustainability Criteria of biomass fuels:
Compared with the U.S. and the EU, the framework of sustainability criteria for biomass fuels has not yet been sufficiently established in Japan. METI has currently established a working group for discussing further assessment standards for sustainability because of the rapid increase of biomass fuel import since last few years. The interim report of
the working group in 2019 shows the overview of the discussion:§

Need to clarify standards of environment, society, labour, and governance which third party qualifications
should meet.

§

Third party certifications must permit supply chains of main products (e.g., general wood, palm oil) from plantation to powerplant, and for by-products (e.g. Palm kernel shells - PKS) supply chains from production site asfuel to powerplants.

§

In addition to RSPO (Round Table for Sustainable Oil), RSB (Round Table for Sustainable Biomaterials) is also
accepted as certification. Other frameworks such as ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) are also being
considered as certification.43

Standards for Methane Gas :Dependent on facilities, restricted substances of methane gas must be purified. Reference values of concentration ineach facility are listed below.
Hydrogen Sulfide (ppm)Ammonia (ppm)

Nitrogen (vol%)Water (vol%)Boiler

<10<0.2g/㎥

No restriction<15

Gas Engine

<10

<50

No restriction

Only necessary minimum

Micro Gas turbine<20

No restriction

No restriction

Only necessary minimum

Fuel cell

<2

<1

<0.1

Unsaturated

Natural gas Vehicle

1-10

<1-10

No restriction

Town gas

0.65<

1.0<

Table 3: Reference values of concentration of restricted substances in gas for different facilities44

43
44

METI (2020): バイオマス発電の持続可能性の論点について.
MoEJ (2017): “Manual for Preparation for Methane Gas Facilities”.
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www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu

Standards for Digestate:
Digestate from biogas plants is used for agriculture, discharged to public sewer or rivers after necessary purifying
treatments. The standards for public sewerage can be seen in the table below. For rivers, standards vary from region
to region.
There are no special restrictions on the use of digestate as fertilizer in Japan. Additional fertilisers are sometimes
needed, e. g. phosphorus. In the liquid phase, the discharge of fermentation residues requires appropriate treatment
in a wastewater treatment plant, which is based on the requirements of the wastewater standards of the Water Pollution Prevention Act. This includes, among others, compliance with the following parameters: BOD <600 mg/l; SS<600 mg/l; nitrogen content <240 mg/l.
pH

5-9

BOD

mg/L

Less than 600

SS

mg/L

Less than 600

T-N

mg/L

Less than 240

T-P

mg/L

Less than 32

BOD: biochemical oxygen demand
SS: Suspended Solids
T-N: Total Nitrogen
T-P: Total Phosphorus

Table 4: requirements of the wastewater standards of the Water Pollution Prevention Act 45

Offensive odours:
There are regulations for odours from biomass or other plants. A certain odour intensity (e.g. 2.5 odour intensity within
six grades) must not be exceed at the borders of the site.46

45

based on MOEJ (2014): 平成 26 年度廃棄物系バイオマス利活用 導入促進事業委託業務 .

46

MoEJ: 廃棄物処理施設の発注仕様書作成の手引き.
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6. Major players
a. Competitors
i. Japanese planners and manufacturers of Biogas plants (selected)
No.

Company

1Cornes2

Chubu Ecotech Co., Ltd.

http://www.ecotec-compo.com/index.html

3

Daiki Ataka Engineering Co., Ltd.
since 2014 merged with Hitachi-Zosen

https://www.hitachizosen.co.jp/products/business/plant/upper_lower/index.html

4Ebara Corporation

http://www.ebara.co.jp/en/

5

Ebara Jitsugyo Co, Ltd.

https://www.ejk.co.jp/english/

6

Hitachi Zosen Corp

https://www.hitachizosen.co.jp/english/products/products055.html

7

IHI Corporation

https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/

8

JFE Engineering Corporation

http://www.jfe-eng.co.jp/en/index.html

9Kajima Corporation

https://www.kajima.co.jp/english/welcome.html

10Kawasaki Plant Systems Co, Ltd.

https://global.kawasaki.com/en/

WebsiteAG

Corporation

http://www.cornesag.com/english/

belongs to Kawasaki Heavy Industries since
201111

KobelcoEco Solutions Co., Ltd.

https://www.kobelco-eco.co.jp/english/

12

Kubota Corporation

http://www.kubota-global.net/

13

Kurimoto technos

http://www.kurimoto.co.jp/global-kurimoto.php
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since 2009 cooperation Kurimoto and
METAwater

https://www.metawater.co.jp/eng/

14

Kyowa Exeo Corporation

https://www.exeo.co.jp/en/

15

Maezawa Industries, Inc.

http://www.maezawa.co.jp/en/index.html

16

Meidensha Corporation

https://www.meidensha.com/index.html

17

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental& Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd.

https://www.mhiec.co.jp/

18

Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd.

http://www.kakoki.co.jp/english/index.html

19

Mitsui Zosen E&S Holdings Co,.Ltd.

https://www.mes.co.jp/english/business/environment/power_plant/detail758.html

20

Nihon Facilio Co., Ltd.

https://www.j-facilio.com/

21

Nippon Coke & Engineering Co., Ltd.

https://www.n-coke.com/en/index.html

22

Nippon Sharyo, Ltd.

https://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/index_e.html

23

Nippon Unitec Co. Ltd.

http://nipponunitec.com/

24

Obayashi Corporation

https://www.obayashi.co.jp/en/

25

Osaka Gas

https://www.osakagas.co.jp/en/index.html

developed 2011 compact biogas plant forfood waste together with Daiki Axis
26

Sanki Engineering Co., Ltd.

https://www.sanki.co.jp/en/

27

Shisetsu Kougyou Co., Ltd.

http://www.skk.ne.jp/

28

Swing Engineering Corporation

https://www.swing-w.com/eng/products/systems&equipment/w24.html

Alliance of Ebara Corp., JGC Corp. and
Mitsubishi Corp. established in 2010
29

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd

http://www.shi.co.jp/english/index.html

30

Taisei Corporation

https://www.taisei.co.jp/english/

31

Takuma Co., Ltd.

https://www.takuma.co.jp/english/index.html

32

The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.(JSW)https://www.jsw.co.jp/en/index.html

33

Tsuchiya

Dairy

Equipment

Mfg.

Co.

http://tsuchiyanoki.com/

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34

Yanmar Co., Ltd.

https://www.yanmar.com/global/

Table 5: Selection of Japanese engineering companies and manufacturers of Biogas plants and components47

ii. Foreign planners and manufacturers of Biogas plants (examples)
WebsitePartner company
branch in Japan

https://bert-energy.com

Benears Co. Ltd

http://www.benears.co.jp/

Bekon GmbHhttps://www.bekon.eu/en/

SUN EARTH CO., LTD.,https://www.su
n-earth.jp

3

BTA InternationalGmbHhttp://www.bta-international.de/en/home.html

Hitachi Zosen Corporation

https://www.hitachizosen.co.jp/english/products/products055.html

4

BTS Biogas

https://www.bts-biogas.com/en/

BTS Biogas K.K.

5

EnviTec Biogas

https://www.envitec-biogas.com/

RENAGEN Inc.

No.

Company

1

Bert
GmbH

2

Energy/Website(cancelled its activities
in Biogas business)

6

Enspar

https://www.enspar.de/en/

Aquas corporation

https://www.aq
uas.co.jp/

7Erich Stallkamp
ESTA GmbHhttps://www.stallkamp.de/en/

S.K.T Inc.

http://www.skti
ncorp.com/

8

HoSt

https://www.host.nl/en/biogas-plants/

Techno System

https://technosys.jp/en/energy

9

Lipp

https://www.lipp-system.de/?lang=en

Nippon Unitec Co., Ltd,

http://nipponunitec.com/

47

Research by ECOS GmbH (2020)
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10

Krieg & Fischer

https://www.kriegfischer.de/en/biogas-plants

ECO HEART Inc.

http://www.eco
heart.com/

11

OWS

www.ows.be

Kurita Water Industries

https://www.ku
rita.co.jp/english/

12

PlanET
technik

https://planet-biogas.com/en/

Tsuchiya Dairy Equipment MFG

http://tsuchiyanoki.com/facilities

Biogas-Kyoei Corporation Ltd.

https://www.ky
ouei-kk.com/
13

Schmack Biogas(Viessmann
Group)

https://www.schmack-biogas.com/

Cornes Biogas, subsidiary Cornes & Company

https://www.cornesag.com/eng
lish/
https://www.cornesag.com/pro
duct/biogas/biogas/biogas/feature.html

Table 6: Selection of foreign engineering companies and manufacturers of Biogas plants and components48

48

Research by ECOS GmbH (2020)
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www.EUbusinessinJapan.eub. Suppliers
At many biomass plants in Japan, the main biomass-specific components utilize technologies and products made byforeign manufacturers, e. g. turbine, CHP.49 The increase of installed powerplants after FIT has caused strong dependency on import of biomass fuels.

Figure 8: Companies involved in biogas plant manufacturing and operation 50
The following tables give a few examples of Japanese companies acting as suppliers in the biomass market:

i. Trading companies
General trading companies, known as Sogo Shosha in Japanese, have been expanding their import businesses of biomass fuels since last few years.

49
50

JETRO (2017): “Market Report Renewable Energy”.
JETRO (2017): “Market Report Renewable Energy”.
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Company

URL

Itochu Corporation

https://www.itochu.co.jp/en

Sumitomo Corporation

https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp

Sojitz Corporation

https://www.sojitz.com/en/

Toyota Tsusho Corporation

https://www.toyota-tsusho.com/english/company/

Marubeni

https://www.marubeni.com/en

Mitsubishi Corporation

https://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en

Mitsui & Co.

https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/index.html

Table 7: Selection of general trading companies in Japan, also active in the field of biomass technologies51

ii. Manufacturers of fermentation tanks
Company

URL

Fuji Clean

https://www.fujicl.com/company,

https://www.fujicl.com/new/biomass (in Japanese, more detailed information)
Voice

https://vioce.jp/en/

Hypotech Inc

http://hipotech.co.jp/
products:
http://hipotech.co.jp/renewable/product03/product7/index.php#catego_nav_top
http://hipotech.co.jp/renewable/product03/

Table 8: selection of Japanese manufacturers and builders of digesters52

51
52

Research by ECOS GmbH (2020)
Research by ECOS GmbH (2020)
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iii. Manufacturers of dryers
Company

URL

Company

Okawarahttp://okawara-mfg.com

Rotary Dryers, Fluid bed dryers (among others)

Taiki Technos

http://taiki-techno.co.jp

Rotary Dryer

Hilde

http://hilde.co.jp

Dryer for wood, technical cooperation with a German company (Robert Hildebrand) since 1955

Yamato Sanko MFG Co., LTD

http://yamato-sanko.co.jp/english/

Wide variety of dryers for many applications

Table 9: Selection of Japanese manufacturers of dryers, suitable for biomass53

iv. Manufacturers of CHP systems
There are only a few Japanese manufactures of CHP on the Japanese market, foreign manufacturers (most of themcome from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, and the U.S) are dominating players.
Company

URL

Company

Technistechnis.jp

Cooperation with 2G (Germany)

Forest Energy

https://forestenergy.jp

Cooperation with Cortus Energy (Sweden), Syncraft Engineering(Austria) and sales contract with Volter (Finland). Business tie-up
with NTT Anode Energy Corporation since 2020

Spanner

http://www.holzkraft.jp/home_jp.html

Japanese Corporation of Spanner Re2 GmbH (Germany)

Komatsu

https://home.komatsu/en/

CHP system in Awazu Factory in Ishikawa prefecture

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

https://global.kawasaki.com/en/

Icrosshttp://www.icross.co.jp/

Small-size CHP for woody biomass plants

ZE Energy

http://www.ze-energy.net/english/

CHP system in Nagano prefecture

Table 10: Selection of Japanese manufacturers of CHP systems, suitable for biomass54

53
54

Research by ECOS GmbH (2020).
Research by ECOS GmbH (2020).
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v. Manufacturers of Microturbines
Yanmar

https://www.yanmar.com/jp/

IHI Power Systems Co, Ltd.

https://www.ihi.co.jp/ips/english/index.html

Ebara Corporation

https://www.ebara.co.jp/en/index.html

Table 11: Selection of Japanese manufacturers of microturbines, suitable for biomass 55

c. Customers
i. Municipalities
Since 2013, seven Ministries in Japan have chosen “biomass industry cities” and the total number of selected districts
reached 94 in 2020. These municipalities make effort not only to achieve energy self-efficiency, but also to revitalize
local economies and industries. The list of districts is available on the website of MAFF. Half of the districts is concentrated in the northern part of Japan.56

ii. Food industries
In order to reduce the food waste and utilize it (see chapter 4 b i) them, food industries have been paying more attention to biogas plants. Some examples are:§Fujidelica Quality, company for prepared food in Matsuyama prefecture, installed a biomass plant using
its own vegetable scraps in its factory.

§

Asahi announced to produce all cans of “Asahi Superdry” by using electricity from biomass plants fromMay 2020. (though food residue is not used as fuels.)§'J Bio Food Recycle' established by JFE Engineering Corporation with the cooperation of wholly-owned
subsidiary, JFE Kankyo Corporation, started a joint project with East Japan Railway Company and JR East
Environment Access for using industrial and food wastes from public facilities such as station buildings
and meat manufacturing plants, with 80 ton per day of food waste treated in biogas plants by fermentation. This project began as a food recycling business by converting to biogas beginning in August 2018.57

55

Research by ECOS GmbH (2020).
MAFF (2020): バイオマス産業都市について.
57
DNA India (2018), “Japan generates electricity by recycling 80 ton per day of food waste”

56

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iii. Farmers
After implementation of the Act on the Appropriate Treatment and Promotion of Utilization of Livestock Manure in
2004, livestock farmers face the need of utilization of the manures. Against the backdrop of it, biomass projects focusing on livestock farmers as partner or consumer has been under progress.
§

Biomass power plants from chicken manures by Jumonji Chicken Company; Approx. 40 t manures per day
are supplied by the company and affiliated chicken farmers. Generated electricity is supplied also forTokyo Metropolitan Area.58§

Biostock which was established in Hokkaido by NTT East Japan and Biomass Research & Development in2020 will supply small sized biogas plants with ICT technologies and introduce a monthly paying system
for livestock farmers (currently applying for patent) (https://www.biostock.co.jp/)

Several Japanese Biogas plant manufacturers have a special focus on biogas generated from livestock wastes (seechapter 6.a.i.):§

Mitsui E&S Environment Engineering Co., Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui E&S Engineering Co.,
Ltd.) for example completed the “Miyama City Biomass Center construction work” awarded from Miyama
City, Fukuoka Prefecture in November 2018. This facility ferments regional garbage, manure and septictank sludge, and uses “biogas-derived renewable energy (electricity and heat) in the field” to create “rings”
of resource circulation in the area.59§

A smaller company specialized on Biogas generation from livestock manure is Tsuchiya Dairy. An exampleof their plants realized is given on their homepage at http://tsuchiyanoki.com/

d. Associations & Research Institutes
i. Associations
§

§
§

58
59

JARUS (The Japan Association of Rural Solutions for Environmental Conservation
and Resource Recycling)
http://www2.jarus.or.jp/biomassdb/instinfolist00.html
JORA (Japan Organics Recycling Association)
https://www.jora.jp/
BPA (Biomass Power Association)
http://www.bpa.or.jp/

Norinshukin Research Institute (2017): 地域一体となった“産地運営”と鶏糞バイオマス発.
Mitsui E&S Group (2019): “Environmental Preservation - INTEGRATED REPORT 2019”.
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ii. National Institutes§§§§

Forest Research and Management Organisation
https://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/en/index.html
Riken, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Biomass Research Platform Team
http://biomass-platform.riken.jp/index_en.html
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science, Biomass Refinery Research Center
https://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
https://www.jircas.go.jp/eniii. Universities§§

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
https://www.tuat.ac.jp/en/
Tokyo University, Collaborative Research Center for Energy Engineeringhttps://www.energy.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index.html;
Newsletter (in Japanese): https://www.energy.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/newsletter/newsletter002.pdf

e. Installers/Operators
Local enterprises, municipalities, forest industries, and non-governmental organisations (NGO) are often installers ofbiomass plants. In typical renewable energy project financing transactions, a project owner is also a special purpose
company (SPC). An SPC acquires ownership or leasehold of the project site, builds, and operates power generation
facilities, and receives the electricity sales proceeds from a utility company under the power purchase agreement.60
A few of the examples of projects by SPC are listed below:
§
§
§

60

Tomakomai Biomass Power Co., Ltd.
Stockholder: Mitsui&Co, Sumitomo Forestry, Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd., Iwakura Corp.
Hokkaido Biomass Energy
Stockholder: Mitsui & Co, Hokkaido Electricity Power Company
Aichi Kaba gun Biomass Energy
Stockholder: Marubeni, SB Energy, Chubu Electric Power

Anderson Mori, Tomotsune (2019): “Renewable energy project development in Japan”.
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www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu

f. Service and maintenance
The following table gives a few examples of major companies in Japan offering service and maintenance for plants
using renewable energies which includes biogas plants.
Mitsui & Co. Foresight Ltd.

https://www.mb-f.co.jp

E. g. round-the-clock manned monitoring
service, emergency response, regular control of power plants

JFE Technos

https://www.jfe-technos.co.jp/

Regular control of powerplants

Nippon Steel Engineeringhttps://www.eng.nipponsteel.com/english/

One stop service from construction to after
maintenance

Table 12: selection of major companies in Japan offering service and maintenance for plants using renewable energies 61

7. Market Potentials and Recommendations
a. Potentials
The International Energy Agency (IEA Bioenergy) expects that there will be a reassessment of bioenergy in Japan. Thisis also reflected in Japan’s long-term climate protection strategy, which was presented in June 2019. The goal is toincrease bioenergy in Japan by almost five times by 2030.
The market potential for the possible biogas production depends (among other facts) on:
§
§
§
§
§
§

The uncertain future production and composition of biowaste.
The next political decisions on the promotion or recycling of bio-waste.
The possible technical performance of the biogas plants that can be installed and the possible
areas for this.
The proportion of all food waste that can be developed for fermentation.
The openness of the Japanese policy, energy distributors and society to the expansion of biogas
plants.
The willingness of the network operators to expand the grid connections and connect biogas
plants to the network.

Due to a high-level FIT for electricity, generated by biogas, disposal costs will be avoided e. g. for food and other biowaste. The possible remuneration, even with regard to higher necessary investment costs, is very positive.

61

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As European companies have years of experience and can supply innovative technology, such as plants that enable
alternating operation with different input substrates, biogas plant manufacturers from Europe will find a wide field ofpotential applications for biogas technology in Japan.
Current remaining obstacles, such as the still existing regional restrictions of the electrical power for feed-in (see chapter 3 c i), can be largely eliminated in the future by improving the controllability and flexibility of the biogas plants thus
strengthening their grid stabilizing effect. This requires above all a stronger cooperation between biogas plant and grid
operators as well as corresponding support from policy makers.

b. Challenges
Waste producers are often far away:
This implies a necessary establishment of a transport network which sometimes involves considerable effort and additional costs. However, it may be an advantage that the establishment of such a transport network can also have an
influence on the delivered substrate by encouraging improved waste separation on site and sensitising the parties
where the food is produced to the issue of biogas and renewable energies. If one forms a network or concludes partnerships beforehand, the transport network can also be used for other tasks, thus minimising costs.
Waste separation must first be realized:
In some cases access to feedstock sources (e.g., food waste or livestock manure) must be developed as a first step. In
this case, communication with the local community, waste producers, network operators, authorities and other persons is necessary for the operation of a biogas plant. Therefore, access to local decision makers and some lobbyingmight be necessary, which can hardly be sone without a local partner.
Poor substrate quality:
Plant operators have to be trained, not only regarding technical aspects of the biogas plant but also the selection of
usable substrates. The composition and quality of substrates may change during the operation period and, if theplant operator is not experienced or if the operator is not properly trained, biogas production may decrease.
Technology must be adapted to new market as for example:••

different voltages, and partly also different net frequencies have to be considered. The grid connection must
be clarified with the electricity supplier before the application for FIT is submitted to METI. It should also be
noted that in Japan there are still some regions such as Hokkaido and Kyushu with capacity bottlenecks in the
power grid. Here possibly additional costs are incurred if the network operator decides in a specific individual
case that the network must be expanded.
components such as digestion tanks must fulfil safety regulations for earthquakes. This means that, comparedto European standards, it must first be clarified whether special reinforcements especially for digestion tanks
or materials (such as stainless steel which is for example more flexible than concrete) should be considered.

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Other possible challenges may be:
§
§
§
§
§
§
§

Still a partly monopoly structure of electricity grid operators makes connection more difficult
Possibility of lack of acceptance (e. g. odour nuisance)
Tough bureaucracy and legal restrictions, high quality standards, different regulations must be followed
Higher investment and construction costs
High company taxation
Detailed information on specific topics such as standards, regulations and approval procedures, as well as
websites of SMEs and authorities, is often only available in Japanese.
Japanese business culture makes decision-making in Japanese companies often rather slow and involves
a much longer time frame.

c. Recommendations
i. General recommendations for a market entry:
Market structures in Japan are quite similar to those in Europe but cultural and formal aspects should be consideredwhen entering the Japanese market. Basically, it should be noted that in Japan:§

a market entry through partnership, by partnering with domestic players is probably the most promising.
Such a partnership can take various forms: feedstock arrangements, technology alliances, joint ventures,value chain alliances (also see chapter 5: Market Access). Not only for sales, installation and service/maintenance activities but also for dealing with Japanese regulations and standards as well as to benefit from local and national subsidy programmes. A Japanese partner can be of great help here, knowing
the local market, local challenges, legislation, standards and certification procedures. A partnership will
also help to adapt products and services to the needs and target group of the Japanese market.

§

Similar to most of the European countries such as Germany, in Japan high standards and many laws mustbe fulfilled and certification procedures must be passed.

§

Contacts to biomass/biogas networks between farmers, local associations and authorities and NGOs andassociations could be very useful for building up market activities in Japan.

§

Before entering the Japanese market, it is recommended to use of consulting services in Europe (EU Japan
Centre, JETRO, etc.) or private companies offering consultant services for entering the Japanese market inorder to get an overview on the market potential, cross-cultural differences, potential partners, etc.

§

In addition to being present on site through an office and personal meetings, it is also important to participate in events and visit or exhibit at trade fairs.

§

For a product to be successful in Japan, it must be of a very high quality and must be adapted to the market,
the circumstances and expectations.

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www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu§

Patience and perseverance are needed: From the first contact to the conclusion of first contracts and theinitiation of first business activities in Japan it may well take several years.

§

regular contact and visits to the Japanese partner are important for a successful partnership.

Attending industry events is a great way to succeed in entering the Japanese market and enables foreign companies
to:
•
•
•
•

Get several networking opportunities
Get to know the market, its main actors and your competitors
Find potential customers, partners, and projects
Learn about the latest technologies and competing products

For Biogas business for example the following fairs could be attractive to visit:•••

Biomass Expo Osaka
Biomass Expo Tokyo
REIF Fukushima

Beside trade fairs also the use of expert media (for expert articles or advertising) such as magazines, newsletters inJapanese language could be an efficient way to promote the products. Beside translators, also the Japanese partnercompany could be helpful for creating advertisements or presentations being attractive for Japanese costumers.

ii. Systemic considerations and recommendations
The utilisation of food waste, possibly mixed with co-substrates from agriculture, seems to be the most promising
application for biogas plants. Networks for collecting food waste from industries, restaurants and even chains of convenience stores already exist and will be extended in the near future. In several communities in Japan collection systems for domestic food waste have started and also for these networks a further expansion can be expected.
For the design of the complete system (e. g. input substrates, biogas plant, heat and electricity generation, fermentation residues) it is recommended to consider the following issues:§

Biogas plants should be flexible to accept a variety of input substrates as in most cases a homogenous
quality and composition of the substrates cannot be guaranteed and in the future other input substrates(possibly as co-substrates) may be used.

§

Installation and operation of the biogas plant should be easy and not too time consuming as personnel
costs in Japan are high.

§For the system design not only electricity generation for feed-in should be considered. Although the FIT
for electricity generated from biogas is quite high in Japan, grid operators may limit the power for feed-in
and it may be difficult to operate small biogas plants economically efficient. In such cases, consideration
should be given to using electricity and heat locally and only feeding-in part of the electricity generated.
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For example the generated electricity could be used for own consumption for the respective facility (foodindustry, farm, sewage plant, etc.) or sold directly to third parties.
§

For utilisation of heat also a coverage of own consumption should be considered, not only for heat but
also for cooling demand.

§

In Japan agricultural land area available for crops (e. g. used as co-substrate together with cattle manure)and farmland structure is small. Therefore, compared with European plants, many biogas plants in Japantend to be small (in average approx. 350-400 kW) as well.

§

A still missing collection system for municipal bio-waste is a barrier to market development. In the industrial (such as food industry) or the gastronomic sector collecting systems for biowaste are already established or planned to be introduced in the near future.

§

Above that it also should be considered that fermentation residues that otherwise have to be disposed(with possible additional costs) can be sold as fertiliser and may replace expensive mineral fertilisers

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