Kawasaki Delivers First Woody Biomass Gasification Cogeneration System

 Tokyo, August 22, 2006 — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has delivered its first gasification cogeneration system using woody biomass to the Azai factory of Sekisui House, Ltd. in Shiga Prefecture.

 Kawasaki’s system, utilizing its advanced gasification technology, generates electricity by processing the wood waste from timber production to supply power to the Azai factory itself. It will be used in a bioenergy demonstration project being jointly conducted by Sekisui House and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

 The system’s gas engine generates electricity from refined CO and H₂ gases that are produced when Kawasaki’s low-tar pyrolysis gasification furnace processes solid wood waste. The exhaust heat from the engine will be recovered by a heat exchanger and used for the Sekisui facility’s wood driers, as well as for office utilities. The cogeneration system will supply 1,750 kWh a day (10 hours) from 2.2 tons of wood waste, equivalent to 30 percent of the factory’s electric power demand.

 Kawasaki’s small-scale woody biomass gasification system, available in both 70 kW and 175 kW models, has been simplified by minimizing the gas refining components, thus reducing maintenance requirements. Startup takes only 30 minutes, so daily start- and- stop operations are possible.

 Kawasaki is committed to contributing to a sustainable society through the development and deployment of technologies and systems that reduce emissions and make efficient use of limited natural resources, such as bioenergy conversion and wind power.