On February 14, 2025, TJ Group Holdings, NTT Anode Energy, and partners announced that construction of the 9.98MW BPS Ikoma Kitahara Biomass Power Plant in Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, was completed. The project is set to begin commercial operations on April 1, 2025.
Once operational, the power plant is expected to generate approximately 81GWh annually using unused wood and other woody biomass produced locally in the Kansai region. While METI data shows the power plant was FIT-certified in 2022, the statement says, “approximately 60% of the electricity generated will be provided as non-FIT electricity … A portion of that will be supplied to facilities in Ikoma City by the local power retailer Ikoma Shimin Power.”
“We will use the non-FIT electricity … at our group companies’ construction sites and offices,” said Haseko Corporation, one of the projects’ investors.
The project is owned by BPS Ikoma, a subsidiary of TJ Group Holdings, which also received investments through “silent partnerships” with Sumitomo Forestry, Tokyo Century, Forest Energy, Morisho, Taisei Rotec, and Ikoma Corporation alongside NTT Anode Energy and Haseko. Approximately 5 billion of the 7.5 billion yen required for the project was secured through a loan arranged by Nanto Bank with participation from Sanjusan Bank. A portion was provided by Japan Finance Corporation.
With the exception of fuel receiving equipment and substation, Nishinippon Plant Engineering and Construction was in charge of the power plant’s construction. Sumitomo Heavy Industries boilers were selected for the project.
BPS Ikoma Kitahara Power Plant is TJ Group Holdings’ second woody biomass power plant following the 5MW BPS Daito Ryuma Power Plant commissioned in December 2015.
