Biomass Fuel

What Biomass Fuel does

Biomass Fuel Co., Ltd. (バイオマス・フューエル株式会社) is a privately held Japanese biomass fuel supplier founded in 2008 and headquartered in Tokyo. The company procures, manufactures, and sells wood chips, PKS (Palm Kernel Shell), and wood pellets to biomass-fired power generation utilities operating under Japan's Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, with secondary exposure to coal co-firing customers. It operates three domestic wood chip plants in Gunma, Kanagawa, and Gifu prefectures (collectively producing approximately 7,800 tons per month) and an integrated Southeast Asian supply chain via wholly-owned subsidiaries in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, where it runs pellet manufacturing and PKS aggregation. Its flagship Vietnam pellet plant in Nghe An Province has an annual capacity of 160,000+ tons, with a stated group target of 500,000-600,000 tons per year.

The company's product portfolio includes industrial-grade wood pellets, PKS fuel (3,500-3,800 kcal/kg), domestically manufactured wood chips, and a proprietary torrefied "black pellet" protected by Patent No. 6124494 (granted 2017), which uses a superheated steam system to deliver approximately 14% higher calorific value than conventional pellets and improved grindability for coal co-firing. It holds an extensive set of sustainability and FIT certifications (JIA FIT, FSC CoC and Controlled Wood, PEFC/SGEC CoC, SBP, GGL, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) covering the full forest-to-fuel supply chain.

Biomass Fuel generates revenue through direct B2B sales of biomass fuels, primarily under Japan's FIT scheme, with a small but growing footprint in power generation co-development (Toki biomass power plant and the Sano Biomass Power JV with Kansai Electric Power, B.Able, and Nasu Construction, combined with a Virtual PPA with Tokyo Metro signed in December 2025). The company is expanding upstream into forest management and afforestation (including a 15,000 ha USAID partnership in Vietnam and a Forestry Agency bilateral credit project) and downstream into co-located power generation, positioning itself as a vertically integrated renewable energy fuel and carbon-neutral power platform rather than a pure commodity trader.

Name

Biomass Fuel

Legal name

バイオマス・フューエル株式会社

Website

https://biomassfuel.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Biomass Fuel is a Japanese biomass fuel manufacturer and supplier (wood chips, PKS, wood pellets) serving FIT-regulated biomass power utilities in Japan, with vertically integrated pellet production in Vietnam and proprietary torrefied black pellet technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomass Fuel Supply for Power Generation

NAICS

Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031), Forestry (800), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Pellet Manufacturing (EUAAAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomass Pellets, Briquettes & Solid Bioenergy Products (industrial/residential) (IMAMALAJ), Solid Biomass Fuel Wholesale & Retail Distribution (Bulk, Bagged, Residential Heating) (EUAAAJAJ)

Keywords

• Biomass fuel supply
• Wood pellet manufacturing
• Palm kernel shell trading
• Wood chip production
• Renewable energy fuels

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Biomass Fuel Sales (Wood Chips, PKS, Wood Pellets): The company manufactures and sells wood chips, PKS (Palm Kernel Shell), and wood pellets to biomass power generation companies in Japan. Revenue is generated through the sale of biomass fuel products, with domestic manufacturing through group companies and international manufacturing through Southeast Asian subsidiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Biomass Fuel manufactures and supplies wood chips, PKS (Palm Kernel Shell), wood pellets, and torrefied black pellets to biomass power generation utilities and coal co-firing customers in Japan. The company operates three domestic wood chip plants in Gunma, Kanagawa, and Gifu prefectures, a large-scale pellet factory in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, and PKS collection operations in Malaysia and Indonesia, supported by an in-house logistics subsidiary and proprietary black pellet torrefaction technology.

Product overview

Biomass Fuel operates a unified biomass fuel supply platform with manufacturing operations across Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia for wood pellets and PKS, alongside three domestic wood chip factories in Japan. The product portfolio centers on four core offerings: wood pellets manufactured at Vietnam's largest-scale facility, PKS fuel from Southeast Asian palm oil operations, wood chips produced at domestic plants in Gunma, Kanagawa, and Gifu prefectures, and torrefied black pellets developed with proprietary technology. The company also maintains supporting operations including logistics, forest management, and forestry services through subsidiary companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wood Chip Manufacturing (木質チップ製造) Wood chip manufacturing for biomass power generation. Three domestic production facilities in Gunma, Kanagawa, and Gifu prefectures produce approximately 7,800 tons of wood biomass fuel monthly, including collection of thinning materials and construction waste, crushing, screening, and quality-controlled distribution to power plants.
• Wood Pellets (木質ペレット) Wood pellet manufacturing operations in Vietnam, producing high-quality industrial pellets (I2 standard) with superior density (760 kg/m3 vs I2 ≥600), calorific value, and durability (98.5% vs I2 ≥97%) compared to standard pellets. The Vietnam facility in Nghe An Province targets 200,000 tons/year production.
• PKS (Palm Kernel Shell) Palm Kernel Shell fuel sourced from Malaysia and Indonesia operations. PKS offers higher calorific value (3,500-3,800 kcal/kg) compared to wood chips, enabling efficient energy generation. The company maintains integrated procurement, storage, quality control, and shipping operations through overseas subsidiaries.
• Black Pellet / Torrefied Pellet (ブラックペレット) Torrefied (semi-carbonized) biomass pellet using proprietary superheated steam technology. Features include ~14% higher calorific value (~4,800 kcal/kg vs conventional pellets), hydrophobic properties, improved grindability, and reduced transportation costs. Patent No. 6124494 was granted for the manufacturing equipment in 2017.

Quantifiable outcome

• GHG emissions from biomass power generation are significantly lower than coal or LNG-fired generation across the full lifecycle (fuel production through power generation)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Kansai Electric Power (関西電力株式会社)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Kansai Electric Power, along with B.Able and Nasu Construction, co-invested in a biomass power generation project established by Biomass Fuel's joint venture entity 'Sano Biomass Power' in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. Kansai Electric participates as a co-developer and investor in the project.
• B.Able (株式会社ビーエイブル)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025B.Able co-invested in the Sano Biomass Power generation project alongside Kansai Electric Power and Nasu Construction.
• Nasu Construction (那須建設株式会社)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Nasu Construction co-invested in the Sano Biomass Power generation project as part of the joint venture with Kansai Electric Power and B.Able.
• Tokyo Metro (東京地下鉄株式会社)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Tokyo Metro signed a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Biomass Fuel's Sano Biomass Power project, agreeing to purchase renewable energy certificates from the biomass power generation facility.
• Forestry Agency of Japan (林野庁)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2024Biomass Fuel was selected as a field survey implementer under the Forestry Agency's 'FY2023/FY2024 Forest Project Environmental Improvement Project for Developing Countries' (令和5年度/令和6年度途上国森林プロジェクト環境整備事業). The project involves field surveys for forest conservation and afforestation using the bilateral credit system in Nghe An Province, Vietnam.
• USAID (United States Agency for International Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2021USAID (through its Green Invest Asia program) partnered with BIOMASS FUEL VIETNAM for a sustainable forest management project. USAID provides technical expertise, seedling support, and funding. Biomass Fuel manages 15,000 ha of plantation land in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, conducting afforestation with local farmers following FSC rules. PACT (USAID-established NGO) supports FSC FM certification acquisition.
• Japan Gas Appliances Inspection Association (JIA)coreOthers · 1 January 2019JIA conducts factory audits and forest audits for Biomass Fuel's Vietnamese pellet factory, including operation confirmation, document review, operator interviews, and forest audits of logging sites, plantations, sawmill waste factories, and suppliers. Biomass Fuel was the first JIA-certified pellet factory in Vietnam.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Enviva: World's largest industrial wood pellet producer, supplying utilities in Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean with I2-grade wood pellets. Directly comparable product, customer base of biomass power generators, and cross-border supply chain model.
• Drax Group: UK-based vertically integrated biomass power generator and one of the largest wood pellet producers globally. Comparable business model spanning pellet manufacturing and biomass power generation.
• Pinnacle Renewable Energy: Canadian industrial wood pellet manufacturer supplying primarily to Asian and European utility markets. Comparable product (I2-grade wood pellets) and export-driven business model (now operating as a Drax subsidiary).

Broad incumbents

• Sojitz Corporation: Japanese trading company with biomass power generation investments and fuel trading operations, including overseas pellet sourcing. Comparable role in the Japan-Asia biomass supply chain.
• Hitachi Zosen: Major Japanese EPC contractor for biomass power plants and related infrastructure. Adjacent player that enables the biomass power generation ecosystem in Japan, frequently partnering with utilities and biomass fuel suppliers.
• Sumitomo Corporation: Japanese trading house with biomass fuel trading and renewable energy investments including biomass power generation. Comparable customer base of Japanese utilities but with a much broader portfolio spanning multiple commodities.
• ITOCHU Corporation: Japanese general trading company with biomass fuel supply and biomass power generation projects, including pellet sourcing from North America and Southeast Asia. Similar cross-border biomass fuel trading model but operating at much greater scale across diverse sectors.
• Marubeni Corporation: Major Japanese trading house with extensive biomass fuel trading operations and biomass power generation investments in Japan and overseas. Overlaps with Biomass Fuel's core business but operates as part of a much wider commodity trading portfolio.
• Mitsui & Co. Japanese general trading company with biomass fuel trading operations and biomass power generation projects. Similar Japan-Asia supply chain intermediary role but operating at much larger scale across many industries.

Others

• Kansai Electric Power: Major Japanese utility that is both a Biomass Fuel customer (biomass fuel procurement) and JV partner through the Sano Biomass Power project (announced December 2025). Strategic relationship rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Biomass Fuel