ABB wins ninth biomass control system deal in Japan

Posted on: 18 July 2023

ABB has is to supply a distributed control system to a new biomass power plant being built in Japan south of Osaka.

3D model of Wakayama Gobo biomass plant. Image: Toyo Engineering

Japan has target for 8GW of biomass capacity by 2030

ABB is to supply a distributed control system to a new biomass power plant being built in Japan south of Osaka.

The deal for the Wakayama Gobo Biomass Power Plant marks the ninth contract for biomass plants that ABB has won with EPC firm TOYO Engineering Corporation.

The 50MW plant is due to be operational in 2025 and will use wood pellets and agricultural byproduct as a feedstock.

It is designed to be capable of supplying enough power for up to 110,000 households a year.

The plant is being developed by Enewill (formerly JAG Energy), Osaka Gas and SMFL MIRAI Partners, with TOYO as the EPC contractor.

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ABB said its ABB Ability Symphony Plus solution will “deliver complete visibility of operations, enabling operators to make informed decisions in real time to help optimize production, improve processes, and drive efficiencies”.

ABB will also deploy its Adaptive Execution project management methodology which utilizes digitalization to speed up delivery schedules and achieve faster site start up.

With domestic supply of energy increasing over 4% year-on-year, Japan is investing in ways to match growth in demand with reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.

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In 2022 its renewable energy output increased by 11.7%, driven primarily by solar power and biomass generation.

In its sixth Basic Energy Plan, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced a target of 8GW for installed biomass capacity in the country by 2030 which would cover 5% of its projected power demand.

Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries, said: “The nine projects that we are involved in will deliver a collective generation capacity of 500MW, achieving over 6% of the government’s target and providing energy to power more than one million households.”

Japan is currently the world’s fifth largest biomass market and is expected to grow by 5.4% a year until 2025 and 3.7% a year through the following decade.