Kyuden starts EIA process for planned 9.5-MW Yutsubo geothermal power plant in Japan
Kyuden Mirai maintains an active pipeline of geothermal power projects in development in Japan, with the 9.5-MW Yutsubo power plant as the latest addition.
Kyuden Mirai Energy, a subsidiary of Kyushu Electric Power, has begun the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure (EIA) for the planned 9.5-MW Yutsubo geothermal power plant. The plant will be built in Kokonoe Town in the Oita Prefecture of Japan, with target operations by 2030.
According to the EIA document, the company had been conducting exploration surveys in the eastern part of Mount Wakugai since 2017 with the support of the Japan Energy and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC).
Kyuden Mirai Energy is currently operating eight geothermal power plants. Two of these, specifically the 110-MW Hatchobaru and 27.5-MW Takigami, are also located in the town of Kokonoe. The company is also in the construction phase of the 5-MW Kirishima Eboshi-dake binary geothermal power plant in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. This power plant is expected to be operational by the end of fiscal year 2026.
Ongoing development in Kokonoe is in line with the “New Energy Vision” of the Oita Prefecture, which targets geothermal power generation capacity of 189 MW by 2030, and a 1-2% contribution from geothermal in the power generation mix by 2040.
Source: Kyuden Mirai, EneHub, and Kyushu Online
