Kobe embraces biogas

The Kobe Municipal Government of Japan will start supplying a mixture of regular gas and sludge-derived biogas to household and industrial users. Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., which has signed an agreement with the city government, is building a plant to process biogas, taking advantage of subsidies from the government. It will sell the output to Osaka Gas Co., with the price expected to be set at less than ¥127.80 (US$1.44) per cubic meter for this fiscal year. The annual shipment volume will be enough to power 2,000 households for a year and help trim annual carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 metric tons. (July 7, 2010)