The Sendai Gamo biomass power plant is a 74.95MW biomass-fired power project under construction in the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as the Morinomiyako biomass power plant.

Morinomiyako Biomass Energy, a special purpose company set up by Renova (29%),  United Purpose Management (25%), Sumitomo Forestry Company (15%), Mizuho Leasing Company (17%), and RenoDa Partners (14%), is responsible for the development and operations of the facility.

Renova is leading the project development and made a final investment decision (FID) in October 2020. The company also holds the right to acquire an additional 31% ownership in the  Morinomiyako Biomass Energy from Mizuho Leasing and RenoDa Partners, once the project is completed.

Construction on the project started in February 2021 and the power plant is expected to enter into commercial operations by November 2023.

Project Gallery

At full capacity, the Sendai Gamo biomass power plant is estimated to generate approximately 553 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a year, which will be enough to power 170,000 Japanese households. The power plant is also estimated to offset about 280,847 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Location and site details

The Sendai Gamo biomass power plant is located in the north-eastern section of Miyagino of the Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture, Japan.

The plant site occupies an area of 50,000m2 on the Gamou disaster area reconstruction land.

Sendai Gamo biomass power plant make-up

The Sendai Gamo biomass power plant will feature a 250 tonnes per hour (tph) circulating fluidised boiler (CFB), a 74,950kW single-cylinder, condensate axial-flow reheat steam turbine, 83,278kVA three-phase synchronous generator, and a 59m-high steel exhaust stack.

The power plant will be equipped with air-cooled condensers along with denitration and desulphurisation facilities to reduce the wastewater levels and the volume of exhaust gases.

The Sendai Gamo plant will be mainly operated on fuels, wood pellets and palm kernel shells (PKS). The plant is estimated to deliver a power generation efficiency of 40%.

The other components in the plant will include an outdoor three-phase 83,500kVA transformer, and a gas-insulated switchyard (GIS).

The electricity generated by the biomass power plant will be utilised by Tohuku Electric Power Company under a feed-in tariff (FIT) system to promote renewable energy.

Infrastructure facilities

The infrastructure facilities at the Sendai Gamo power plant site will consist of fuel supply equipment, wastewater treatment equipment, heavy oil for the initial start-up of the plant, and indoor fuel storage warehouse.

Fuel consumption and supply

The Sendai Gamo biomass power plant will mainly consume approximately 350,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of wood pellets.

Wooden pellets will be imported from North America, while palm husks will be sourced from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Project financing

The Sendai Gamo biomass power plant will be financed through a syndicate of lenders that include Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank as the lead manager and Resona Bank as the joint lead manager.

The other institutions involved in the financing of the project include Aichi Bank, Bank of Iwate, Bank of Yokohama, Iyo Bank, Shizuoka Bank, Yamaguchi Bank, Ugo Shinkin Bank, Shoko Chukin Bank, Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Company and JA Mitsui Leasing.

Contractors involved

The joint venture of Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Kajima Corporation was awarded a contract by Morinomiyako Biomass Energy to supply a circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boiler reheat system for the Sendai Gamo power plant in November 2020.

Japanese company Sumitomo Forestry was selected to provide fuel procurement and management services.