Wasabizawa Geothermal Power Plant for which Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Constructed Power Generation System Goes into Operation

Akita, Japan —Today marked the first day of commercial operations for Wasabizawa Geothermal Power Plant (in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture), a facility owned and operated by Yuzawa Geothermal Power Generation Corporation. The Plant is the fourth-largest geothermal power plant in Japan^*1 and produces 46,199 kW of output. It was the first time that a large-scale^*2 geothermal power plant of this size and scale had opened in Japan in 23 years. Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (hereinafter “Toshiba ESS”) received the order for the engineering, procurement and construction work of the power generation system for this project in 2015 and began working on construction in May 2018.

Japan has an estimated 2.3 GW of geothermal energy resources, which is third most among all the countries in the world after the United States and Indonesia. Japan’s geothermal power installed capacity remains at 534 MW^*3, but there are high expectations for this type of power as a stable base load power source that is geopolitically independent, and also unaffected by the weather compared to other types of renewable energy. There are now a large number of medium- and small-scale single-digit MW-class or less geothermal energy power generation plans under way throughout Japan.

“I’m proud to be a part of this major project for Wasabizawa Geothermal Power Plant,” noted Mr. Takao Konishi, Director and Senior Vice President of Power Systems Divisions at Toshiba ESS. “Toshiba ESS will continue leveraging the distinctive, advanced geothermal systems technologies it has developed over the last half-century as well as its wide-ranging product lineup to contribute to the further spread of renewable energy.”

Since delivering Japan's first geothermal steam turbine and generator in 1966, Toshiba ESS has held the world’s top market share in turbines for geothermal power generation at 23%^*4.
In addition to systems for large-scale power plants, Toshiba ESS also offers 1- to 10-MW-class small-scale geothermal power generation systems which can be used in limited space or as temporary power sources by installing them on drilled wells in worksites.

*1: From Toshiba ESS research in May 2019
*2: Indicates 10 MW-class or more
*3: From Toshiba ESS research in July 2018
*4: On an installed capacity basis. Source: BloombergNEF (December 2017)

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