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The geothermal electric power plant at the Oyasu region in Akita Prefecture has been set up for operation by Idemitsu Kosan, a company known for specializing in gas station operation.
Geothermal energy is attracting attention across the world. "It dates back to the 1970s when Idemitsu Kosan researched and developed geothermal heat. There was an oil crisis in the 1970s. Idemitsu is an energy company where oil was the mainstream of stable energy supply. Since 1970, it has also been working on coal, uranium and geothermal development. We dug a well, which was around 3,000 meters deep. The water comes out of it by geothermal fluid and steam, which is separated and sent to the turbine to generate electricity," said Hiroki Goto of Idemitsu Kosan. "Since Japan is a volcanic country, there is a great deal of geothermal potential. Geothermal energy is very clean because it emits minimum CO2 and has a small environmental load. Geothermal energy is one of the main renewable energy sources that fluctuate under the influence of the natural environment but I think geothermal energy is a very stable baseload power source and a stable regional utilization power source," added Hiroki Goto. "Regarding the geothermal survey overseas, we are still in the study stage and have just started working on it. We are thinking of developing it in the US., Indonesia, and the Philippines. There are environmental policies and political system in each country but I hope we can take the next step after considering all factors," Hiroki Goto further said. Idemitsu operates gas stations and also develops geothermal energy in Japan. Searching for geothermal energy stored in deep underground consumes a lot of time and money, but Idemitsu Kosan continuously tries to develop clean energy. (ANI)
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