Forward to the future — Making biogas production more valuable together with JFE Environment Technology at Miura

In brief 

To drive large-scale adoption of biogas as an energy source, its cost must be brought closer to that of conventional energy. That cannot be achieved without improving the efficiency of biogas plants and optimizing their use of heating and electricity.  

Japan's JFE Environment Technology Co., Ltd. is a one-stop environmental business solution provider. The Miura Biomass Center is a local biogas plant and a major contributor to creating a profitable waste treatment system for the local community. 

The plant processes biowaste, e.g. harvest leftovers from local farms for biogas production. The process byproducts are returned to the farms as fertilizer — closing the loop and creating a circular economy. 

Our customer chose the Vaisala MGP261 multigas instrument to monitor the quality of raw biogas and to help optimize biogas production. The plant's location on the coast of the Miura Peninsula also put a premium on resistance to environmental factors, strong winds, and salt damage from the sea.

"To me the MGP261 is very disruptive as it can measure under the harshest of conditions.“  
- Mr. Sato, JFE Environment Technology Co., Ltd. 

The MGP261’s continuous measurement data was compared against bi-weekly measurement data provided by a 3rd party testing laboratory — and matched it extremely well. Constant monitoring allows the plant to detect the slightest changes in biogas components in the anaerobic digestion, which helps them improve operational efficiency and quality. 

"When we can carefully monitor the methane concentration on a continuous basis and control the anaerobic digestion process more precisely, we can have more stable operations. The bill for backup energy needed to supplant seasonal fluctuations alone can amount to a high level, and we can now avoid that.”
- Mr. Ryose, Miura Regional Resources Use Co., Ltd. Facility Manager 

In conclusion 

Waste treatment facilities producing biogas and generating heat and electricity for their communities will become more popular both in Japan and around the world. After the trial, the Vaisala MGP261 at Miura and elsewhere continues to contribute to this mission of sensing a sustainable future. 

“ Based on our experience, we recommend the MGP261 be installed in all biowaste treatment plants in the future.”
- Mr. Sato, JFE Environment Technology Co., Ltd.