Developing geothermal power plants in Fukushima
Amid heightened interest in renewable energy triggered by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, independent administrative agencies and a national council of geothermal industries will jointly embark on developing geothermal power in Fukushima starting spring of 2012.
Geothermal power makes use of high temperature steam occurring in underground places more than 1,000 meters below ground to generate electricity. One of the advantages of geothermal power compared to solar or wind is that it can supply a steady stream of power 24/7 because it’s not affected by the climate.
The northeast area of Inawashiro Lake in Fukushima prefecture is one of the currently suggested sites. It is estimated to output nearly 250 thousand kW, which is an equivalent of half of all the geothermal power supplied in the nation.
The council plans to begin surveying the area to narrow down the suitable sites as soon as snow melts this spring, and a part of the research cost will be subsidized by the agencies. Tadashi Adachi, president of the Council, says geothermal power has a lot of potential in the whole Tohoku region as well as Hokkaido, and hopes to advance developing more geothermal energy in the areas where welcome the business, not just in Fukushima prefecture.
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