New use for coffee in Japanese power plant
As every coffee-lover knows, there’s nothing quite like the caffeine buzz after a decent cup of coffee. We all love to get our fix first thing in the morning to propel us into the day. However, we are not the only ones to get a boost from the humble coffee bean – the Japanese have found a novel new way to use coffee grounds in creating a buzz of a much higher magnitude.
What are they using coffee grounds for? Sumitomo Metal Industries has begun a project to use coffee grounds as a biomass fuel in producing power from the Kashima Steel Works plant. This is an environmentally friendly proposal for one of the country’s biggest thermal power plants. This new initiative is still in its infancy and only accounts for around 1% of the fuel used, but this could be about to change.
The traditional fuel source is coal and the innovative Japanese are mixing 1% coffee grounds with it. Despite the low ratio of coffee, the company is quoted as suggesting that the carbon dioxide emissions will be considerably lessened by the new proposal. Published figures estimate that this project may reduce emissions by 7,000 tonnes in 2011. The Japanese company is planning on using 12,000 tonnes of coffee grounds in this initial year of the initiative and is reported to be buying this product from many sources, including the beverage giant, Coca Cola.
If this project proves successful on a larger scale, it would provide an unexpectedly eco-friendly use for coffee beans.