00:00
Welcome to the SDGs in the NEWS Podcast . This is Susan Yoshimura, Managing Editor of Japan 2 Earth, coming to you from Tokyo. Today, we bring you another English article on Japan and the SDGs. You can find the full text on our website. Just click the link in the episode notes. Have a listen!
Saki Brewery in Yamanashi shifts to zero-emission hydroelectric power
Yamanashi Meijo, a Japanese saki brewery in Hokuto City has eliminated its CO2 emissions from electricity by switching to the prefecture's hydropower plan.
Yamanashi Meijo is a long-established saki brewery and producer of the shichiken brand of Japanese saki, located in Hokuto City of Yamanashi Prefecture. On January 30, 2023, the company announced a shift of all electricity usage to that derived from hydroelectric power generation.
With this transition, the company's annual 510 tons of CO2 emissions from electricity use have been reduced to zero. The brewery is the first alcoholic beverage manufacturer in Yamanashi Prefecture to carry out such an initiative. And according to the company, it is only the second in Japan.
The brewery consumes a considerable amount of electricity to make its sake, including that used for washing rice, temperature control during fermentation, and refrigeration.
It has now switched its power supply over to the Yamanashi Power Next Edo Yama Hydropower Plan. This plan limits the power source to electricity generated by the Yamanashi Prefectural Enterprise Bureau's hydroelectric power plants.
The brewery's annual power consumption stands at approximately 1.13 million kilowatt hours. By switching to this hydroelectric power plan, the company brought its electricity-related CO2 emissions down to zero.
The plan adds an extra charge to standard electricity rates to cover the prefecture's environmental conservation projects. This will account for an extra 1.15 million Japanese yen in electricity costs for Yamanashi Meijo.
At the press conference, CEO Tsushima Kitahara commented,
The only power sources we currently use are electricity and a boiler that uses LPG, liquefied petroleum gas. If we can confirm it's economically rational, we plan to switch the boiler to green hydrogen. Yamanashi Prefecture is a leader in type of energy, which does not emit CO2. In so doing, we can become a completely carbon-free brewing company.
If you enjoyed this story, do let us know. And check out our website by clicking on the link in the episode notes. You can follow us on Twitter for our latest news. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Until next time, this is Susan Yoshimura of Japan to Earth, signing off.
