Japanese NPO Launches Pellet Stove Rental Business to Encourage Biomass Use

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Biomass Tamba-Sasayama, an environmental non-profit organization (NPO) in Hyogo Prefecture launched a pellet stove rental business in the autumn of 2012. The stoves, which cost between 300,000 yen (about U.S.$3,370) and 500,000 yen (about $5,618) to purchase, can be rented for between 30,000 yen (about $337) and 48,000 yen (about $540) a year. With a rental period of six years, they can then be purchased for the remaining amount.

One condition is that as the fuel in their stoves, customers are required to use wood pellets sold by the NPO, which procures all of its pellets from within the Sasayama City district. Biomass Tamba-Sasayama aims to help create a more environmentally friendly town through tree-planting activities, and to help resolve environmental problems by studying the use of biomass.

The project to promote the use of forest biomass by Biomass Tamba-Sasayama was adopted in 2011 as a Ministry of the Environment pilot project by business-oriented NPOs and social businesses working to create a sustainable society. The project aims to revitalize local communities and conserve the environment by creating new demand for wood pellets and other local biomass resources, and manufacturing and selling them.