Daily, a small island concentrates 850,000 cows solely for the purpose of collecting their waste, specifically manure.

In the picturesque city of Shikaoi, located on the island of Hokkaido, a remarkable transformation is underway. This island nation, known for its pursuit of energy innovation, is now home to a pioneering clean energy initiative that addresses agricultural waste management and mitigates the environmental impact associated with livestock farming.

The project, put into operation in 2015 by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, revolves around an anaerobic digester that takes in cow excrement and urine from dairy farms on Hokkaido. Bacteria in the digester decompose the organic waste, producing a liquid fertilizer and biogas. This biogas is purified and converted into methane, then used to produce hydrogen.

The star of this story is cow manure. By creating around 1000 liters of hydrogen from 1 kg of dry manure, the project is not only reducing waste but also providing a sustainable energy solution. The hydrogen produced in Shikaoi is stored in tanks and supplied to nearby installations, such as the Obihiro Zoo and a sturgeon fish farm.

The Shikaoi plant can produce up to 70 cubic meters of hydrogen per day, powering not only the city's hydrogen refueling station for electric vehicles, refueling around 28 vehicles daily, but also agricultural machinery and tractors, sectors difficult to electrify.

Professor Shiho Ishikawa and engineers from Hokkaido University, as well as Professor Yoshikazu Suzuki from Kyoto University, have been instrumental in this groundbreaking project. They collaborate with the Japanese Ministry of the Environment to optimize the conversion of cow manure into hydrogen.

This article marks just one step in Japan's ongoing energy innovation efforts. For more information about similar proposals for renewable energy production, stay tuned.

Daily, a small island concentrates 850,000 cows solely for the purpose of collecting their waste, specifically manure.