Aiming to Achieve the Realization of a Decarbonized Society
erex is expanding the electric power business using renewable energy both in Japan and abroad. For biomass power stations in particular, we involve in a nationwide operation and construction of which the scale is the largest among Japanese companies. In January 2010, we launched the commercial operation of Japan’s largest biomass power plants in Buzen-shi, Fukuoka-ken and Ofunato-shi, Iwate-ken. We aim to further expand in setting up biomass power stations in the future.
The biomass power stations of erex group places great emphasis on the adoption of proper environmental protection measures, and we are constantly working on protecting the environment in the surrounding area of the power stations by ensuring that sewage, exhaust gases, and dust released by the power station are properly disposed. At the same time, we make effective use of waste materials by transforming the ash generated at the power stations into solid granules through an industrial waste company and making efficient reuse of these materials.
In addition, the environment surrounding the use of biomass fuels is changing, and we now need to certify sustainability from environmental protection and social compliance point of view. While erex group procures biomass fuels such as PKS and wood pellets from overseas, it obtained the GGL (Green Gold Label) certification for PKS in 2020 and is currently working on acquiring other certifications that cover supply chain management and other operations that are relevant for environmental protection and the sustainable use of biomass fuels. Moving forward, we are committed to developing our business operations through these initiatives while remaining sensitive to the needs of the environment and local communities. At the same time, R&D efforts for new biomass fuels suitable for use by large “Non-FIT” biomass power stations and overseas power generation projects are currently underway.
With regard to electric power sales, we are also developing our business operations in a manner that would allow us to create a low-carbon society by responding to the changes and demands of the social environment. One example of this is the selling of CO2-free electricity to RE100 companies※ by Evergreen Marketing, which is a company under our group.
- *Companies aiming to achieve 100% renewable energy use for their business operation.
In April 2020, erex obtained GGL (Green Gold Label) certification※ for palm kernel shells (PKS). Our fuel procurement subsidiary, erex Singapore has also obtained two forest certifications.
This makes erex the first power generation company in Japan to receive GGL certification for PKS, although it is not officially recognized under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) Business Plan Formulation Guidelines.
※Please refer to our press release for details regarding our GGL certification
Environmental Initiatives
When transporting biomass fuel arriving at port to our power plants, we use dedicated covered trucks ordered specifically for this purpose. A sealed structure which is the feature found only in this truck prevents dust from scattering during transportation.
Our power plant is equipped with a piece of equipment called a bug filter, which removes ash in exhaust gas. We are also working to preserve our environment by making effective use of the waste, such as collecting the entire volume of ash generated when PKS has been burnt, solidifying by granulated solidification, and recycling it to raw material used for creating cement.