Appi geothermal power plant in Iwate, Japan starts commercial operations

The Appi Geothermal Power Plant in Hachimantai National Forest, Hachimantai-city, Iwate, Japan (source: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation)

The 14.9-MW Appi Geothermal Power Plant in the Hachimantai region of Iwate Prefecture, Japan has officially started commercial operations. The power plant is owned and operated by Appi Geothermal Energy Corporation, a joint venture company formed by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (MMC), Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC), and Electric Power Development Co. Ltd. (J-POWER).

The construction of the power plant has been underway since August 2019. The project has been supported by the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) with a debt guarantee project for geothermal resource development funding. The power plant uses a single-flash turbine.

The Appi Geothermal Power Plant is notable for being the first geothermal power plant in 28 years to have a capacity of more than 10 MW in the Iwate Prefecture. All the power generated in Appi will be supplied under a Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) mechanism for renewable energy.

The Appi Geothermal Power Plant is an important milestone for project partners MMC, MGC, and J-Power, as this is their second geothermal power plant after the 46-MW Wasabizawa Geothermal Power Plant in the Akita Prefecture.

Source: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation