The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy recently released a policy promoting the use of biomass power generation as stable substitution for nuclear power to the maximum extent possible by fiscal year 2030. The Agency aims to increase the aggregate capacity of biomass power plants operating under the FIT Act from 1.9 million kW (of which 0.98 million kW is from woody biomass power plants) as of December 2016 to a capacity of 4.75 to 6.01 million kW (of which 3.35 to 4.61 million kW would be from woody biomass power plants) by fiscal year 2030.

In response to such policy, biomass power generation, especially woody biomass power generation, which can promote the effective use of unused woods in Japan and which can be a base load power source, has been attracting a lot of attention. This alert letter presents an outline of legislation, notes and prospects of power generation using woody biomass and the agricultural residues ("Agricultural Residues") which are often mixed in and burned together with woody biomass.

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