Orix Corp. to commence early work on two geothermal sites in Japan
Aomori City, Japan (source: flickr/ Herry Lawford, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
26 Jun 2019
Japanese ORIX Corp. announces planned exploration survey on two geothermal sites at Kazamaura Village and Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture in Japan for potential geothermal power development.
Japan-based ORIX Corporation recently announced that it will commence excavation survey to verify commercial feasibility of the geothermal power generation business in both Kazamaura village, Shimokita county and Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture.
ORIX has conducted surface survey in Shimokita country’s Kazamaura village and Aomori City. After obtaining approval from the local community, and with the geothermal resource survey subsidy for 2019 sponsored by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), an independent administrative agency, ORIX will conduct excavation survey to check for geothermal resources.
1. Kazamaura village, Shimokita county, Aomori prefecture
- Survey location: Shimofuro area, Kazamaura village, Shimokita county, Aomori prefecture
- Survey content: Excavation survey
- Survey period: May 2019 to February 2020 (tentative)
- Operator: ORIX Corporation
2. Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
- Survey location: Jogakura area, western Hakkoda, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
- Survey content: Excavation survey
- Survey period: May 2019 to February 2020 (tentative)
- Operator: ORIX Corporation, Jogakura Kanko
ORIX is actively engaged in power generation businesses that utilize geothermal, solar, wind, biomass and other forms of renewable energy. In the field of geothermal power generation, ORIX currently owns and operates one of the largest private geothermal power generation facilities in Japan with a generation capacity of 1,900 kW (1.9MW) constructed on the site of the Beppu Suginoi-hotel (Beppu city, Oita prefecture), a Japanese styled hot spring inn that operated by the ORIX group.
In addition, ORIX has been working on development at multiple locations throughout Japan, including conducting surveys with the aim of commencing operations in 2022 for the geothermal power generation business in Hachijo-jima selected through a public offering.
Since ORIX invested in Ormat Technologies, Inc. – a geothermal power generation company listed in the United States—for strategical business tie-ups in 2017, ORIX has been studying the geothermal power generation business combining both companies’ expertise and business foundations mainly in Japan and the Asia region.
Continuously leveraging knowledge gained from experience, ORIX will continue to contribute to spreading renewable energy in a balanced way by actively promoting the development and operation of geothermal, solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy.
Source: Company release
