Kobe City: New Effective Digestion Gas Utilization Project Started at Higashinada Treatment Plant

Press Release (June 17, 2024)
Facilities Division, Sewerage Department, Bureau of Construction

1. Outline

　The press material provided on November 28, 2022, “New SDGs Initiatives at Higashinada Treatment Plant – Start of Effective Utilization of Sewerage Resources! -“, the “Digestion Gas Effective Utilization Project” (digestion gas power generation project and hydrogen supply project) will be launched on July 1, 2024.
　In this project, digestion gas generated in the sewage treatment process will be effectively utilized using private-sector technology and funds. Most of the electricity generated will be sold to electric power companies (enough to supply approximately 2,400 average households per year) using the FIT system, and a portion will be used to produce hydrogen. A small-scale hydrogen station using this hydrogen will begin operations (1 hydrogen vehicle/day, registration and reservations required).

2. Business details

(1) Business operator
Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co.

(2) Digester gas power generation business
Project period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2044
Power generation scale (capacity): 1,614 kW (807 kW/unit x 2)
Digester gas usage (planned): approx. 4,250,000 ^Nm3/year
Power generation (planned): approx. 8,739,000 kWh/year equivalent to approximately 2,400 ordinary households

( (3) Hydrogen supply project
Project period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2044
Hydrogen filling scale (capacity): ^30Nm3/day 35MPa
Planned hydrogen supply volume: approx. 6, ^000Nm3/year (20-year average) 1 hydrogen vehicle (passenger car)/day (registration and reservation required)
Hydrogen filling site: Higashinada treatment plant (2-1-1 Uozaki Minami-cho, Higashinada-ku (2-1-1 Uozaki-Minamimachi, Higashinada-ku, Higashinada-ku, Tokyo)