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Construction started on new binary plant addition to Takigami plant in Japan

Construction started on new binary plant addition to Takigami plant in Japan Takigami geothermal plant, Kyushu/ Japan (source: Saeid Jalilinasrabady via flickr/ Geo Thermal)
Alexander Richter 1 Mar 2016

Idemitsu Kosan has announced having started construction on a 5 MW binary plant that will utilise water from the existing 25 MW Takigami geothermal plant by Kyushu Electric before reinjection.

About one year ago we reported on the plans for the development of a 5 MW binary geothermal plant in adition to the existing Takigami geothermal power station of Kyushu Electric Power. Now the company has announced the start of construction on the plant, that is expected to come online in March 2017.

Planned as a bottoming-cycle plant, it will utilise hot water from the existing plant before re-injection.

Since the start of operation of the Takigami (Geothermal) Power Station of Kyushu Electric Power Company, Inc. (“Kyushu Electric”) in 1996, the Takigami Office of Idemitsu Oita Geothermal Co., Ltd. has supplied steam used to generate power equivalent to 25,000 kW of output.

Since then, it has contributed to the maintenance of one of the top utilization rates in Japan for 19 years, including adaptation to Kyushu Electric´s expansion of output to 27,500 kW in June 2010.

Now construction has started on the binary power plant on the same site, aiming for a start of operation in March 2017. After its completion this will be one of the largest binary power plants in Japan, with a generating capacity of 5,050 kW.

By utilizing a medium that has a low boiling point, binary power generation makes it possible to generate power using low-temperature steam and hot water that could not be used in conventional power generation.

In the future as well, Idemitsu plans to contribute to Japan´s energy security and to the realization of a sustainable society by using domestically sourced, renewable energy such as geothermal power to increase the supply of electricity and diversify energy sources.

Source: Idemitsu release of today, old release from March 2015