Japan:

Construction Plans for Mid-Sized Geothermal Plants Booming Across Japan (Mainichi)

A geothermal power station under construction
by Orix Corp. and Toshiba Corp. is pictured in
Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, in November 2013.
(Photo courtesy of Orix Corp.)

Construction plans for dozens of mid-sized geothermal power plants have surfaced across Japan, with its rich geothermal resources coming under the spotlight in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Chuo Electric Power Co. will herald the move in April by initiating the operation of a new geothermal plant in Kumamoto Prefecture -- the country's first such facility to be inaugurated in 15 years.

Orix Corp. and Toshiba Corp. are also planning to put their geothermal power station into service sometime around the spring of 2015.

There are also dozens of other plans across the country to build geothermal plants each with a maximum output of less than 15,000 kilowatts.

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