Discussion on woody biomass energy systems and natural ecosystem impacts: case study in Japan
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Discussion on woody biomass energy systems and natural ecosystem impacts: case study in Japan Tomohiro Tabata1 · Junnan Zhou1 · Jinku Hoshikawa1 Received: 22 December 2019 / Accepted: 18 July 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Energy from woody biomass is expected to revitalise industry in Japan and induce job creation in the region. Woody biomass power plants have been rapidly constructed all over the country after the Feed-in Tariff scheme began. However, there are increasing cases of the destruction of natural ecosystems and landscapes to fulfil the growing demand for woody biomass. This study aims to describe the ideal energy utilisation of woody biomass from the viewpoint of preserving natural ecosystems. First, a conceptual model for the positive and negative impact of woody biomass energy utilisation on the natural ecosystem was organised. Next, an online survey to collect information and data on woody biomass power plants and heat utilisation facilities in Japan was conducted. In addition, the positive and negative impacts of using woody biomass on economic, environmental, and social systems as well as ecosystems were discussed. An online survey showed that the annual fuel usage of the woody biomass and number of employees increase with the scale of the power plant. Although annual expenses also increase, this might be a positive impact, because it can contribute to the economy and employment of the region based on the increase in the production value. In contrast, a negative impact is that some woody biomass power plants import biomass fuel. Importing the biomass fuel is reasonable from the viewpoint of fuel supply cost reduction and stable supply. However, there might be negative impact on the local natural ecosystem when the woody biomass is not appropriately utilised. Graphic abstract
Keywords Woody biomass · Natural ecosystem · Biomass power generation · Heat utilisation · Regional revitalisation
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Introduction The proliferation of renewable energy is an important matter for many countries. In Japan, the widespread use of renewable energy using the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme has been progressing since 2012. The renewable energy (excluding hydropower) share of the world’s electricity production was only 0.6% in 1973, but it increased to 8.0% by 2016 (International Energy Agency 2018). The proportion of global electricity production attributed to renewable energy is projected to reach 75% in 2060 (International Energy Agency 2018). Woody biomass energy systems, a type of renewable energy system, can provide important benefits besides energy production, including climate change mitigation and regional revitalisation. In particular, energy from woody biomass is expected to revitalise industry, thus inducing job creation in the region. The Japanese government has carried out various regional revitalisation initiatives including promotion of renewable en
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