Nishimatsu Construction Enters Geothermal Business, Operating Binary Business in Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture
Waita Green Energy Geothermal Power Plant
(Source: Nishimatsu Construction)
Nishimatsu Construction announced on January 17 that it has entered the geothermal power generation business, taking over the hot spring binary power plant "Waita Green Energy Geothermal Power Plant" that was owned by Ishimatsu Farm (Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture) and has started operating it.
A power plant that makes effective use of surplus steam from hot spring wells, and started operation in December 2017. The company has acquired expertise in the development and operation of geothermal power plants that coexist with the local community, and positions it as a pilot project for further geothermal development.
The rated output is 49 kW, and the annual power generation is expected to be 312 MWh. The power generated will be sold to Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution based on the feed-in tariff (FIT) system. The purchase price is 40 yen/kWh. FIT has about 10 years remaining.
The company is promoting a renewable energy business to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2030. In the geothermal power generation business, in addition to binary power generation, flash geothermal power generation of less than 10 MW is also being considered.
