Japan Station

Japan Transportation Guide

  • Home
  • Shinkansen network
  • Destinations
  • Maps
  • News
  • Japan Rail Pass Value Calculator

JR East to Utilize Wasted Food from Station Shops to Generate Energy

April 24, 2017

JR East have released plans to utilize wasted food from station shops as a source of biogas fuel. JR East currently have commercial complexes at or near their stations at 160 locations and are expanding shopping facilities within their station premises. Large scale food and drink retail at these facilities has led to extremely high levels of wastage. The new biogas enterprise will recycle this waste to generate energy.

The planned biogas plant in Yokohama

The planned biogas plant in Yokohama

JR East are working together with JFE Holdings on this project through their subsidiary JFE Kankyo Corporation and the two companies set up a new joint company, “J Bio Food Recycle” in August 2016. The plan is to build a food waste processing plant and biogas generation facility in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

JR East expect to collect about 80 tons of food waste each day from station buildings, shops, and bento lunch box factories. At the new plant this waste will be sorted, processed, and fermented to produce methane gas. This gas will then be used to generate power. It is estimated that the plant’s gas generator will produce enough energy to power 3,000 households.

This project is part of a general drive by JR East to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, and promote the use of renewable energies such as solar, wind, and geothermal. In 2013 JR East set themselves an energy reduction target of 25% by 2030, and they aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% in the same period.

In Tokyo, empty railyards and station roofs have been employed to generate solar power, and JR East is also involved in a wind energy project off the coast of Akita. Other renewable energy projects in the northern Tohoku region are currently in the planning stages. Construction of the biogas plant in Yokohama’s coastal industrial area will commence in May of this year and it is expected to begin regular operations in August of 2018.

Article by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.

Questions? Ask on our forum

Japan Station NavigationJapan Station Navigation
Station Navigation
  • Shinkansen high-speed trains
  • The Japan Rail Pass
  • Japan Rail Pass Value Calculator
  • Destinations
  • Narita Express
  • IC Prepaid Transport Cards
  • Air Travel in Japan
  • Guide to Rail Travel in Japan
Guide to Rail Travel in Japan by JapanStation.com

Japan Hotel
Deals of the Day

Loading search box ...
Japan Station Hotel

Book Online

  •   Flights to Japan
  •   Hotels in Japan
  •   Car Rental
  •   Tours & Activities in Japan
  •   Sapporo Station
  •   Shinjuku Station
  •   Kyoto Station
  •   Kobe Station
  •   Kanazawa Station
  •   Osaka Station
  •   Hakata Station
  •   Asakusa Station
  •   Shinagawa Station
  •   Shibuya Station
  •   Nara Station
  •   Nagoya Station
  •   Niseko Station

Japan Station on Facebook

Japan Station on Facebook

Japan Station on Instagram

West Kyushu Shinkansen "Kamome" at Nagasaki Statio West Kyushu Shinkansen "Kamome" at Nagasaki Station. The new Shinkansen line to Nagasaki opened in 2022.
.
.
.
Photo by Yu/pixta
#shinkansen #kyushu #nagasaki #train #japan #japantravel #japanstation #railway #railways_of_our_world #train_nerds #visitjapan #visitjapanca #railfans_of_instagram
Suica Penguin from Shinjuku Station wishes you all Suica Penguin from Shinjuku Station wishes you all a very Happy New Year!! 🥳
Odakyu Romancecar GSE in bright red at Odakyu Shin Odakyu Romancecar GSE in bright red at Odakyu Shinjuku Station and Hakone-Yumoto Station.
Next station Harajuku. Yamanote line train bound f Next station Harajuku. Yamanote line train bound for Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.
.
.
#harajuku #tokyo #yamanoteline #train #japan #japanstation #railways_of_our_world #train_nerds #visitjapan
Looking forward to new travel adventures in Japan. Looking forward to new travel adventures in Japan.
.
.
.
Photo by @nichi_iro__ 
#train #japan #japantravel #visitjapan #japanstation #railway #railways_of_our_world #railfan
Eizan Electric Railway for Kibune, Kurama & Mount Eizan Electric Railway for Kibune, Kurama & Mount Hiei in Kyoto.

About Us

  • Japan Station on Facebook
  • Japan Station on Twitter
  • Japan Station on Instagram
  • Japan Station on Pinterest
  • Japan Station Forum

Copyright © 2023 · Japan Station. Netmobius publication. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact