Geothermal power generation around the world
When comparing the amount of geothermal resources around the world, the United States with the world's largest geothermal area (The Geysers geothermal zone) is ranked first, Indonesia, made of many volcanic islands, ranks second and Japan is ranked third in the world.
Globally, Japan can be considered a major geothermal resource country, but in terms of capacity of power generation facilities, in recent years, along with the remarkable growth of geothermal development in Indonesia, New Zealand, Iceland and Kenya, in 2015 Japan is surpassed by Kenya, falling to the world's tenth place.
Amount of geothermal resources around the world
Rank |
Country |
Amount of resource (10000kW) |
---|---|---|
‚P |
USA |
3,900 |
‚Q |
Indonesia |
2,700 |
‚R |
Japan |
2,300 |
‚S |
Philippines |
600 |
‚T |
Mexico |
600 |
‚U |
Iceland |
580 |
‚V |
New Zealand |
370 |
‚W |
Italy |
150 |
¦10,000 KW = 10 MW
Source: Yuumi Muraoka, based on OHM Co., Ltd. 2011.7
Geothermal power generation capacity changes
Geothermal resource capacity of countries around the world
Geothermal power generation in Tohoku and Kyushu
The majority of geothermal power plants in Japan are built in Tohoku and Kyushu based on the disposition of the regionsf volcanic belt and geothermal field.
Total power output from the geothermal power plants nationwide is about 520,000 kW, the generated electricity amount is 2,559 GWh (FY 2015), which covers about 0.3% of the electricity demand in Japan.
The construction of the largest power plant in the country is the Hatchobara Power Station in Oita Prefecture, Unit 1 (output 55,000 kW) was completed in June 1972, and Unit 2 (output 55,000 kW) was completed in June 1990.
Ranking second in Kyushu and 5th nationwide in terms of capacity, the Otake power plant (Capacity 12,500 kW) was completed in August 1947
Monitoring of the plant operation and instruments is carried out from a location about 2 kilometers away from the Otake plant.
Other than that, there are also Tokyo Metropolitan areafs Hachijojima geothermal power plant, Japanfs only power plant located on a remote island, and Iwate Prefecturefs Matsukawa Geothermal Power Station, which boasts 50 years of history.
(Source: The Association of Thermal Power Nuclear Power Plant, Current Status and Trends of Geothermal Power Generation 2014)
Operating Geothermal Power Plant (as of 2016)
No | Location | Affiliate | Steam / hot water supply | Authorized / certified output (kW) | Power generation method | Operation start date | Utilization of FIT system | |
1 | Mori Power Plant | Mori-machi, Hokkaido, | Hokkaido Electric Co., Ltd. | 25000 | DF | 1982/11/26 | ||
2 | Matsukawa Geothermal Power Station | Hachimantaira City, Iwate Prefecture | Tohoku Nature Energy Co., Ltd. | 23500 | DS | 1966/10/08 | ||
3 | Kakkonda Geothermal Power Station | Iwate Prefecture, Shizukuishi-cho | Tohoku Electric Power Co.,Ltd. | Tohoku Nature Energy Co., Ltd | iUnit 1j50,000 | SF | 1978/05/26 | |
iUnit 2j30,000 | SF | 1996/03/01 | ||||||
4 | Onikobe Geothermal Power Station | Miyagi Prefecture Osaki City | Power Development Co., Ltd. | 15000 | SF | 1975/03/19 | ||
5 | Onuma Geothermal Power Station | Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | 9500 | SF | 1974/06/17 | ||
6 | Sumikawa Geothermal Power Station | Tohoku Electric Power Co., Ltd. | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | 50000 | SF | 1995/03/02 | ||
7 | Uenotaichi thermal power plant | Akita prefecture Yuzawa city | Tohoku Electric Power Co. , Ltd. | Tohoku Nature Energy Co | 28800 | SF | 1994/03/04 | |
8 | Yanatsu Nishiyama Geothermal Power Station | Fukushima Yanagizucho | Tohoku Electric Power Co. , Ltd. | Oku Aizu Geothermal Co. , Ltd. | 65000 | SF | 1995/05/25 | |
9 | Tsuchiyu Onsen #16 source binary power station | Fukushima prefecture Fukushima-shi | Tsuchiyu hot spring Energy Co., Ltd. | 400 | B | 2015/11/16 | F | |
10 | Hotel Sun Valley Binary Power Station | Nasu-machi Tochigi Prefecture | Hotel Sun Valley Nasu Co., Ltd. | 15 | B | 2016/07 | ||
11 | Hachijojima Geothermal Power Station | Tokyo Hachijo-cho | Tohoku Electric Power Co. , Ltd. | 3300 | SF | 1999/03/25 | ||
12 | Shichigome Onsen Hotel Kiyamatei Binary Power Station | Nagano Prefecture Takayama Village | Shichigi Hot Spring Hotel Co., Ltd. | 20 | B | 2014/04/03 | F | |
13 | Higashi Izu-cho hot spring power station | Shizuoka prefecture Higashi Izu-cho | Higashi Izu-machi | 3 | B | 2014/03 | ||
14 | Yumura Onsen Tourist Information Center Yakusho Yu Onsen Binary Stations | Hyogo Prefecture Shimonoseki Town | Shinonsenmachi | 40 | B | 2014/04/10 | ||
15 | Yurihama Geothermal Power Station | Tottori Prefecture Yurashi Hamacho | Kyowa Construction Consultant Co., Ltd. | 20 | B | 2015/10/05 | F | |
16 | Obama Onsen binary power station | Nagasaki prefecture Unzen city | Koyo Denki Co., Ltd. | 200 | B | 2015/09/11 | F | |
17 | Oguni Matsuya Geothermal Power Plant | Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture | iWithinjOguni Matsuya Power Station | 50 | B | 2014/05 | F | |
18 | Wakayama Geothermal Power Station | Joint Company Wakaikai | 1995 | SF | 2014/12 | F | ||
19 | Suginoi Geothermal Power Station | Beppu City, Oita Prefecture | Suginoi Hotel Co., Ltd. | 1900 | SF | 2006/04/01 | ||
20 | KA Continue Power Station | KA Continue Co., Ltd. | 48 | B | 2013/01/17 | F | ||
21 | Goiyuen Power Plant | West Japan Geothermal Power Co., Ltd. | 92 | B | 2014/01/17 | F | ||
22 | Tatara Daiichi Power Station | Nippon Geothermal Industry Co., Ltd. | 49 | B | 2014/07/08 | F | ||
23 | Beppu Spa Service Power Station | Beppu Spa Service Co., Ltd. | 125 | B | 2014/09 | F | ||
24 | Yuyama Geothermal Power Station | West Japan Geothermal Power Generation Co., Ltd. | 100 | B | 2014/10/30 | F | ||
25 | Cosmotec Beppu Binary Power Station | Cosmotec Corporation Co., Ltd. | 500 | B | 2014/11/30 | F | ||
26 | Setouchi Natural Energy XLT Power Station | Setouchi Natural Energy Co., Ltd. | 110 | B | 2015/10 | F | ||
27 | Kamenoi Power Station | Geothermal World Industry Co., Ltd. | 11 | T | 2014/11 | F | ||
28 | Minami-Aishi Hot Spring Thermal Power Station | Peace Corporation Co., Ltd. | 49 | B | 2015/04 | F | ||
29 | Yufuin Forest Energy Binary Power Plant | Yufu City Oita Prefecture | Yufuin Forest Energy Co.,Ltd. | 50 | B | 2015/08 | F | |
30 | Takigami Power Station | Oita Prefecture Kokonoe Town | Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd. | Idemitsu Oita Geothermal Co.,Ltd. | 27500 | SF | 1996/11/01 | |
31 | Kokonoe Geothermal Power Station | Makino and Corporation Co., Ltd. | 990 | SF | 2000/12/01 | F | ||
32 | Otake power station | Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd. | 12500 | SF | 1967/08/12 | |||
33 | Hatchobaru Power Station | Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd. | iUnit 1j55,000 | DF | 1977/06/24 | |||
iUnit 2j55,000 | DF | 1990/06/22 | ||||||
Hatchobaru binary power station | Kyushu Mirai Energy Co., Ltd. | 2000 | B | 2006/04/01 | ||||
34 | Sugawara binary power plant | Kyushu Mirai Energy Co., Ltd. | Kokonoe town | 5000 | B | 2015/06/29 | F | |
35 | Ogun Power Station | Kagoshima Prefecture Kirishima-shi | Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd. | Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. | 30000 | SF | 1996/03/01 | |
36 | Kirishima International Hotel Geothermal Power Station | Yamato Boshu Tourism Corporation Co., Ltd. | 100 | SF | 2010/11/01 | |||
37 | Yamakawa Power Station | Kagoshima Prefecture Ibusuki City | Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd. | 25960 | SF | 1995/03/01 | ||
38 | MediPolis Ibusuki Power Station | Medipolis Energy Co., Ltd. | 1410 | B | 2015/02/18 | ‚e | ||
‘‡Œv | 521C337 |
Source
Japan Geothermal Association 2016/10
Power generation method
DS: Dry steam SF: Single flash DF: Double flash
B: Binary T: Total Flow
Authorized / certified output (kW)
For power plant operated before the FIT system establishment (2012/07): Authorized output
For power plant that started operation after the establishment of the FIT system: Certified output