Japan's Geothermal Power: A 24/7 Energy Solution?

Jul 01, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A large-scale geothermal power project comparable to nuclear power is underway in Japan, with the government and private sector accelerating their efforts toward a green transformation (GX) and renewable energy transition. However, rising power consumption, partly due to the spread of AI, has sent the demand for electricity skyrocketing.

At the same time, solar and wind power, which account for a significant portion of renewable energy, are unreliable for 24-hour stable supply due to weather conditions. Amidst this, there are new developments in geothermal power, which can provide stable 24-hour supply and is one of the world's top resources that Japan boasts but has been difficult to utilize and has not spread widely. Novelist Jin Mayama, who has created works on the theme of geothermal power, delves into the efforts of Japan's leading geothermal developers.

In the wake of the nuclear accident 13 years ago and the historical depreciation of the yen due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fuel prices have soared, putting Japan, which relies heavily on imports, in a difficult position. Attention is growing on renewable energy utilizing natural forces. Renewable energy now accounts for over 20% of domestic power supply, and geothermal power, which had been forgotten, is making a comeback.

"We are challenging ourselves with a new method called supercritical geothermal power generation," explains the researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), which has 12 locations nationwide working on next-generation technologies like semiconductors and AI. The Fukushima facility, established in 2014 for research on cutting-edge renewable energy following the Great East Japan Earthquake, is Japan's only research institute dedicated to renewable energy.

Geothermal power generation involves tapping into underground water reservoirs heated by nearby magma. This high-temperature water, reaching 200° to 300°, is brought to the surface, where it turns into steam to power turbines, generating electricity. Geothermal power can generate electricity 24/7, unaffected by weather conditions, making it a reliable and continuous source of energy. Japan, a volcanic nation, boasts the world's third-largest geothermal energy potential.

Source: テレ東BIZ

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

How Automated Port Cranes Are Reshaping Japan's Logistics Industry

Japan's ports have long been the backbone of one of the world's most export-driven economies.

New Garbage Station Messes With Crows

A company in Kagoshima has developed a new garbage collection station that uses specially shaped wires and rollers instead of conventional nets to prevent crows from scattering household waste, offering a cleaner and more convenient solution to a persistent problem in Japan's urban neighborhoods.

Why Phobos? Japan Targets Tiny Moon Over Mars

Japan has chosen a small, irregularly shaped moon orbiting Mars rather than the planet itself for its latest space exploration mission, taking advantage of Phobos' extremely weak gravity and lack of atmosphere to make collecting extraterrestrial samples and returning them to Earth far easier and less expensive, while potentially unlocking secrets about the history of Mars and the origins of water and organic materials in the solar system.

H3 Rocket Successfully Launches Mars Moon Probe

Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the morning of October 20th, placing the probe into its planned orbit in the first stage of a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons and return them to Earth.

JR West Unveils Humanoid Robots

JR West has unveiled multifunctional railway maintenance machinery, including a heavy-duty single-arm robot and a mass-produced humanoid robot, as part of efforts to address labor shortages and reduce workplace accidents in railway maintenance operations.

Subaru Unveils Advanced Driver Assistance System

Subaru unveiled experimental vehicles equipped with a new driver assistance system on October 18, introducing technology that can automatically guide a vehicle to a safe roadside location when the driver becomes incapacitated, with plans to introduce the system in production models by the late 2020s.

H3 Rocket on Mission to Collect Rocks From Mars Moon

Japan will launch its H3 rocket No. 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:41 a.m. on October 20, carrying a spacecraft designed to collect rocks and sand from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, and return them to Earth in what would be the world's first successful mission of its kind.

CEATEC 2026 Opens With Latest AI Cybersecurity

One of Japan's largest digital technology exhibitions, CEATEC 2026, opened in Tokyo on October 13, drawing attention to advances in artificial intelligence designed to combat cyberattacks and improve rescue operations at disaster sites, with 821 companies and organizations showcasing their latest innovations over four days.

< 2 3 4 5 >