City and Hokkaido Gas sign decarbonization pact aimed at biogas certification
The city and Hokkaido Gas have signed a decarbonization agreement and aim to certify biogas generated locally.
The city and Hokkaido Gas have signed an agreement on decarbonization. The core of the agreement is to pursue efforts to certify biogas generated locally.
Biogas certification is a system that records and handles the environmental value of the gas separately from the flow of the gas itself. With the agreement, a framework has been created to consider how to handle biogas obtained within the city.
Biogas is a methane-based gas produced when food waste or livestock manure is fermented by microorganisms. When organic matter is fermented in a sealed tank, gas containing a large amount of methane is generated. Burning it releases carbon dioxide, but because the feedstock is biological, the emissions are treated as effectively offset under the concept of carbon neutrality.
Environmental value certificates are a system in which renewable-derived energy is traded separately from the physical flow of electricity or gas. A buyer can claim use of renewable-derived energy in calculating its organization's emissions. However, the system requires strict institutional management to distinguish certificate trading from actual use.
For the city, being able to present gas generated from local organic matter as a decarbonization achievement makes it easier to explain its policies. For businesses, it creates an opportunity to use local resources in combination with the existing gas supply network. On the other hand, the volume subject to certification and the buyers will depend on how the initiative progresses.
Key points to watch are how much gas will be covered under the agreement and at what stage certification will be carried out. The initiative may also offer a reference for other municipalities seeking to link the recycling of organic matter with decarbonization.
Using organic matter as a resource has the advantage of reducing waste and cutting emissions at the same time. However, increasing gas production will require securing feedstock and operating facilities, and the effectiveness of the agreement will be judged by how it is carried out going forward.
BLUE NOVA Hydrogen Journal view
Turning biogas generated from local organic matter into certificates that count toward decarbonization is a concrete step in cooperation between a municipality and a gas utility. Because the agreement does not yet specify volumes or timing, its effectiveness will need to be judged as the initiative develops. For other municipalities facing similar challenges, it offers a reference for how public-private partnerships can proceed. Once the volume subject to certification and how it will be operated become clear, the scale and effects of the initiative can be evaluated.
Source: 北海道新聞デジタル
This article was written by the editors based on the cited report and translated from Japanese. AI is used to assist in writing and translation.
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