Construction of geothermal power plant set to begin in Hokkaido

Orix Corporation has announced that it will begin construction of a 6.5MW geothermal power plant in the Minami-Kayabe region of Hakodate City, Hokkaido. Upon completion in 2022, the plant will be the largest binary cycle geothermal power plant in Japan.
Construction of geothermal power plant set to begin in Hokkaido Construction of geothermal power plant set to begin in Hokkaido Construction of geothermal power plant set to begin in Hokkaido Construction of geothermal power plant set to begin in Hokkaido Construction of geothermal power plant set to begin in Hokkaido

An illustration of the proposed Orix geothermal power plant at Minami-Kayabe in Japan

Duncan Moore

Editor

Duncan Moore

Orix is actively engaged in power generation businesses that utilise solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, and other forms of renewable energy. In the field of geothermal power generation, Orix currently owns and operates one of the largest private geothermal power generation plants in Japan. The 1.9MW plant is located on the site of the Beppu Suginoi Hotel (Beppu City, Oita Prefecture), a Japanese-style hot spring inn also operated by the Orix Group.

Orix was selected to receive subsidies for geothermal power generation in the Minami-Kayabe region from Japan Oil, Gas, and Metals National Corporation, thanks to the cooperation of local parties. Since 2014, Orix has been carrying out surveys into geothermal resources and into the possible impact of hot springs on the environment.

The Minami-Kayabe geothermal plant will use binary cycle power generation; only the heat of the hot water is used, after which all the water is returned underground. Pumping hot water to the surface reduces both the number of wells that need to be dug and the required site area; at the same time, the design of the power plant emphasises environmental conservation, such as the use of cooling devices that do not use water to prevent trees from freezing. In addition, in order to safeguard Hokkaido's abundant marine resources, Orix intends to work with the local community to protect the environment through afforestation, thinning, and other forest maintenance activities.

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