Hachinohe Biomass Power Plant to Provide Environmental Value to JR East via Virtual PPA - Promoting Decarbonization in Railway Operations
Hachinohe Biomass Power Co., Ltd., in collaboration with e-rex Co., Ltd., will provide environmental value (non-fossil certificates) to JR East through a Virtual PPA starting April 2026. This initiative transitions the plant from the FIT to the FIP system, contributing to a 35,000 t-CO2 reduction annually.
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- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:54
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (5h 4m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 10:00 (636h 0m after Collected)
Hachinohe Biomass Power Co., Ltd. (President: Hiroshi Yasuda) has partnered with e-rex Co., Ltd. (President: Hitoshi Honna) to provide environmental value to East Japan Railway Company (JR East) starting April 2026. This initiative is based on a Virtual PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), a long-term contract for purchasing only the environmental value of renewable energy power plants. Since consumers can use renewable energy without changing their existing electricity contracts, it is becoming a popular means of supporting corporate decarbonization.
In this project, the Hachinohe Biomass Power Plant, which has been operated under the FIT (Feed-in Tariff) system, will transition to the FIP (Feed-in Premium) system. It will provide environmental value equivalent to approximately 85 million kWh per year to JR East, corresponding to an annual reduction of about 35,000 t-CO2. This contributes to a reduction of approximately 2% of JR East's total CO2 emissions. Through this effort, we aim to contribute to the independence of renewable energy sources and work toward achieving a carbon-neutral society.
Outline of the Initiative: JR East will purchase environmental value equivalent to the total amount of power transmitted from the Hachinohe Biomass Power Plant through the e-rex Group. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is promoting the transition of FIT power sources to the FIP system to make renewable energy a main power source, and this plant will also transition to business operations using the FIP system from April 2026.
About the Companies: Hachinohe Biomass Power Co., Ltd. was jointly established by Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd., and JR East to expand the utilization of forest resources and create eco-friendly energy. Since starting operations in April 2018, it has supplied electricity equivalent to approximately 27,000 general households. It operates as a biomass power plant fueled exclusively by domestic, unused forest wood from local Aomori and Iwate prefectures. It is certified as a regional resource biomass power facility for its contribution to forestry promotion and its stable supply unaffected by weather conditions. We will continue to work on creating eco-friendly renewable energy with the local community.
In this project, the Hachinohe Biomass Power Plant, which has been operated under the FIT (Feed-in Tariff) system, will transition to the FIP (Feed-in Premium) system. It will provide environmental value equivalent to approximately 85 million kWh per year to JR East, corresponding to an annual reduction of about 35,000 t-CO2. This contributes to a reduction of approximately 2% of JR East's total CO2 emissions. Through this effort, we aim to contribute to the independence of renewable energy sources and work toward achieving a carbon-neutral society.
Outline of the Initiative: JR East will purchase environmental value equivalent to the total amount of power transmitted from the Hachinohe Biomass Power Plant through the e-rex Group. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is promoting the transition of FIT power sources to the FIP system to make renewable energy a main power source, and this plant will also transition to business operations using the FIP system from April 2026.
About the Companies: Hachinohe Biomass Power Co., Ltd. was jointly established by Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd., and JR East to expand the utilization of forest resources and create eco-friendly energy. Since starting operations in April 2018, it has supplied electricity equivalent to approximately 27,000 general households. It operates as a biomass power plant fueled exclusively by domestic, unused forest wood from local Aomori and Iwate prefectures. It is certified as a regional resource biomass power facility for its contribution to forestry promotion and its stable supply unaffected by weather conditions. We will continue to work on creating eco-friendly renewable energy with the local community.