German biogas specialist Weltec Biopower continues to strengthen its presence in Japan with two new projects. The company has secured an order for a 450-kilowatt plant in the agricultural sector and is currently implementing a 250-kilowatt biogas plant in Yamagata Prefecture, which includes Weltec’s Blue Water treatment technology.
Additionally, a 450-kilowatt plant for a pig farm near Nagano Prefecture is in the planning stages. Leveraging its expertise in earthquake-prone regions like Japan and Greece, Weltec ensures its technical solutions are adapted to seismically active areas through specialized structural engineering.
The Yamagata project features two digesters processing 80 tons of cattle manure daily, generating electricity and heat. Weltec’s scope includes storage tanks, a pump container, a separation unit, and a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. Alongside this, a Weltec Blue Water system is being built to treat 50,000 tons of digestate per year, transforming manure and wastewater into solid and liquid fertilizers and dischargeable water, reducing transport costs and increasing sustainability.
For the 450-kilowatt plant, beginning operations in 2025, operators will process 18 tons of cattle manure and food waste daily. Weltec’s modular digester system allows customization to meet local building regulations, with digesters designed at 5.03 meters in height instead of the standard 6.30 meters.
Both projects will feed electricity into the grid while utilizing heat for optimized fermentation. Operators benefit from Weltec’s web-based control software, offering real-time access to system parameters, automated feeding functions, and remote support. These projects demonstrate the economic viability of small-scale biogas plants using locally available biomass sources.