Country Update and Barriers of Geothermal Power Generation in Japan

Abstract

The estimated potential of the conventional geothermal power supply over 120 degree C in Japan is about 24,650MW. However the total geothermal plant capacity is about 500MW and one of the reason of small capacity is that about 80% of geothermal potential exists inside special region of national park and high initial cost. After serious nuclear accident with big earthquake at 2011, the research and development of geothermal restarted and several regulations changed, for example, to introduce the Feed-In Tariff for geothermal energy and to permit to development in the low class part of special region in national park. Then, the estimated economical feasible potential including lower class national parks is about 6,690MW. Based on this potential, the proposed the additional geothermal power plant target until 2030 is 1,083 MW. But the additional GPP after 2011 is about 10MW at 19 sites and mainly small binary system. And the promised flush power plant is Wasabizawa with 42MW at 2020 and no constructing plan after that. Then, to reach the development target, we have to solve the several problems (barriers), for example, social acceptance, environmental assessment, policy, technology and education.