Japan: JOGMEC to Drill Test Bores on Behalf of Potential Developers

Geothermal power in Japan set to heat up as government drills in (Nikkei Asian Review)

State agency to join exploration, easing risks for developers

Japan's government will play a greater role in developing the nation's geothermal power resources, seeking to lower the barrier for private-sector investment in this lagging area of renewable energy, Nikkei has learned.

State-owned resources agency Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) will conduct test bores -- part of the financially risky early phase of development -- on behalf of potential developers starting in the fiscal year from April 2020.

The initiative could help unlock underground heat as an energy source in volcanic Japan, which ranks third in the world in geothermal resources, behind the U.S. and Indonesia, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Read More.........