Roger OngOn Oct. 1 and 3, 16 visitors from the University of Colorado Denver made site visits to learn about renewable energy in Japan. The master’s students, each a specialist in their field, were on a study trip focused on renewable energy. Zenbird helped coordinate their visit to Kanagawa and Fukushima prefectures, covering biomass, wind, and geothermal energy.
The students gathered at their Tokyo hotel before heading to their first stop in Kanagawa Prefecture: the Japan Food Ecology Center. The director, who founded the facility, shared how their work began by tackling food loss, collecting unsold food from various businesses to feed livestock. Circularity was a key focus, and the facility has since expanded to convert unusable biomass into biogas energy.
The group split into two after the initial presentation to tour both facilities. At the Japan Food Ecology Center main building, the students saw the process of turning food waste into feed. The facility was clean and organized, demonstrating efficiency in handling large amounts of food waste.
They also visited the Sagamihara Biogas Power facility, located across from the Japan Food Ecology Center. The remaining organic materials are transported through an underground pipeline to Sagamihara Biogas Power, where they are converted into biomass energy.
On Oct. 3, the group reconvened in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, for a visit to Eurus Energy Holdings Corp., one of the largest renewable energy producers in Fukushima. Weather conditions limited the visit to their Solar Park, but this allowed more time at their Wind Farm. Eurus Energy also opened one of their wind turbines for the students to see.
In the afternoon, the group moved on to Tsuchiyu Onsen, where local guides introduced them to the town’s binary power plant, which taps into the local hot spring to produce geothermal energy. The students also visited Orara no Komise, a business that has developed a side venture using heat from the power plant to add value for the town.
The students took a short break to enjoy the foot onsens and chat over drinks. As the day concluded and the group headed to the train station, the students parted in high spirits.
We thank the various businesses that opened their doors to share their work with the students, and we hope the students have gained a deeper understanding of renewable energy in Japan from this tour.
