Geothermal power generation test of next-generation technology in Niseko Rankoshi. Aiming for commercial operation in 2017, a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. will start operations within the year.

Photo from the Nikkei Shimbun website

Niseko real estate News

[Niseko, Rankoshi] Mitsui Oil Development Co., Ltd. (Tokyo), which is conducting geothermal power generation surveys in the area spanning Niseko Town and Rankoshi Town in the Shiribeshi jurisdiction, will conduct a demonstration test of geothermal power generation using next-generation technology that reduces environmental impact by the 23rd. announced that it will start by the end of the year. The test will continue until 2025, with the aim of starting commercial operation in 2029.

The company is a 100% subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. (Tokyo), and the test will be conducted in an area where trial drilling has been conducted since 2019. Mitsui Oil Exploration Co. agreed on the 21st to start testing with a subsidiary of Chevron, a major US oil company.

The purpose of the test is to put a technology called “Advanced Closed Loop (ACL)” into practical use. Power is generated by pouring water from the ground into a loop-shaped well made underground and heating it with geothermal heat. Water is recycled and reused. Unlike conventional geothermal power generation, there is no need to extract hot water or steam from underground, so the impact on the environment is small. There is no need to find a place with hot water, and the time required to start operation can be shortened by several years.

The loop-shaped well will be created separately from the one that has already been dug. The power generation capacity at the start of commercial operation is aimed at 10,000 kilowatts or more. The power supply destination is undecided. Mitsui will contribute to the stable supply of energy and the sustainable development of society through the promotion of renewable energy projects.

According to Mitsui & Co., this is the first test of geothermal power generation using ACL in Japan. Overseas, tests are being conducted in Europe and North America, but they have not been put to practical use.

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