(3) Use of other kinds of renewable energy

(a) Use of renewable energy from sewerage

The national government will take leadership in installing practicable pilot plants to realize innovative technologies for treating sewage, utilizing sewage heat, and using sewage sludge as energy, verifying the feasibility of such technologies, putting together guidelines for using them, and introducing them for sewage treatment facilities nationwide while making the most of private enterprises' know-how and funds.

(b) Promoting utilization of renewable energy in cities by consuming local products locally

In FY2012, in order to realize disaster-resistant, low-carbon, and recycling-oriented cities by utilizing currently unused scrap wood (such as cut branches), which is generated from the parks, streets, and other parts of cities as “local production, local consumption” type renewable energy, the Ministry will conduct tests to develop energy-efficient power plants taking into consideration the characteristics of scrap wood collected from cities, draw up operation plans to use such plants as emergency power sources at the time of disaster, examine ways of striking a balance in terms of pecuniary accounts and $ CO_{2} $ emissions in a series of processes such as collection and transport of scrap wood, its conversion to energy, and disposal of by-products, and develop technical guidelines based on the results of such examination.

(c) Promotion of small hydroelectric power generation

In FY2011, the Ministry started to consider reforming regulations and systems in the energy sector mainly with the aim of promoting introduction of renewable energy. In FY2012, as part of the reforms, it will consider replacing the current authorization system for small hydroelectric power generation using water taken from rivers (dependant power generation) with a new registration system because such power generation has only small new effects on the flow of rivers.

(d) Promotion of wind power generation

In FY2011, the Ministry started to consider reforming regulations and systems in the energy sector. In FY2012, it will analyze details of standards for examining wind power generation equipment under the Building Standard Law and those of technical standards that electric structures are required to meet under the Electricity Enterprises Law and then consider unifying all these examination standards under the Electricity Enterprises Law as for photovoltaic power generation equipment. It plans to reach a conclusion in this regard by the end of the year.

There are problems peculiar to floating ocean wind power generation facilities installed in the open sea. The Ministry began to examine technical problems with the safety of floating and anchored equipment, such as the drifting, overturning, and sinking of such facilities, and in April 2012, it established technical standards for floating ocean wind power generation facilities in accordance with the Vessel Safety Law. MLIT will continue technical examinations of the safety of such facilities and formulate safety guidelines in order to create an environment that enables spread and growth of floating ocean wind power generation facilities and make Japan's rules international standards.