Mitsui : Commercial operations begin at wood biomass power station in Tomakomai, Hokkaido

Tomakomai Biomass Power Co., Ltd., established through a joint investment with Mitsui & Co., Iwakura Corporation, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd., and Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd., began the construction of a wood biomass power station in Tomakomai from June 2015, and commercial operation at the power station commenced from April 28, 2017.

The project involved the construction of generation facilities with a capacity of approximately 5.9MW in the Harumi-cho, Tomakomai, producing electricity for sale at a fixed price under the Feed-in Tariff Scheme for Renewable Energy (*1). It is an energy project based around the concept of 'local production and local consumption,' and procures wood chips from Hokkaido as its fuel, to supply electricity back to regions within Hokkaido.

The project harnesses Mitsui's collective strengths by utilizing unused wood (*2) supplied from Mitsui & Co.'s 35,000 hectares of forests in Hokkaido as the fuel for its operation. Additionally, wholly owned subsidiary Mitsui & Co. Foresight Ltd. manages operation and maintenance of the power station.

Through this project, Mitsui will contribute to the stable supply of energy, generate new business domestically, and explore opportunities in the energy business.

(*1) Feed-in Tariff Scheme for Renewable Energy: Under this system, electric power companies are required to purchase electricity generated using renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass) at a fixed price.
(*2) Unused wood from forests: Thinning residues and other residual forest materials.