Fifty years ago, Japan's first geothermal power plant went online. Now with the world thirstier than ever for renewable energy, the country's decades of experience in the field is presenting a big export opportunity.
This is one reason why Japanese companies find themselves in the middle of a rain forest in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, about an eight-hour drive from provincial capital of Medan.
They are developing a plant that, once completed, will be the world's largest single geothermal power station. All together, the three facilities at the Sarulla plant will be able to generate 320,000kW of electricity. The No. 1 unit is already steaming ahead of its official launch by the end of the year.
