Advances in geothermal energy technology (Kusatsu Town, Gunma Prefecture, Kenya, Orcaria, Germany, Landau, Iceland) - 2020s

Advances in geothermal energy technology (Kusatsu Town, Gunma Prefecture, Kenya, Orcaria, Germany, Landau, Iceland) - 2020s

In the 2020s, the use of geothermal energy is expanding in many countries, and technologies tailored to regional characteristics are being introduced. Efforts are underway to achieve sustainable energy supply while coexisting with the tourism industry, and models from Kusatsu Town and other regions are attracting attention.

### Kusatsu Town, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
Kusatsu-cho, Gunma Prefecture, is one of Japan's leading hot spring tourist destinations, and the protection of its hot spring resources and the maintenance of its tourism industry are of great importance. By ordinance, Kusatsu-cho encourages only small-scale geothermal power generation with minimal impact on the hot springs and avoids large-scale development; as of 2020, the total output of geothermal power plants throughout Japan reached 555 MWe with an annual output of 2409 GWh. Kusatsu Town's efforts are highly regarded as a model case of geothermal utilization that can coexist with local tourism.

### Olkaria, Kenya
The Olkaria geothermal power plant in Kenya is operated by KenGen, a Kenyan power company, and generates 400MWe of electricity in coexistence with tourism resources. It also supplies steam to the Oserian Development Company, which generates an additional 4 MWe. Orkaria is a key geothermal facility that provides a significant portion of Kenya's electricity supply and has a significant impact on the local economy, and KenGen is also drilling new geothermal wells to ensure a sustainable, community-based energy supply.

### Landau, Germany
The Landau, Germany geothermal power project utilizes a 160°C low-temperature heat source from a depth of 3300 m to generate 3 MWe of electricity. This project is attracting attention as a model case for sustainable low-temperature geothermal energy. The use of low-temperature geothermal energy is particularly encouraged in regions where energy self-sufficiency is difficult, and Landau is attempting to improve efficiency through the use of binary power generation technology.

### Iceland
In Iceland, geothermal energy accounts for nearly 90% of the country's electricity supply, and supercritical geothermal technology is being piloted in the Havel area. This technology is capable of efficiently extracting large amounts of energy under high temperature and high pressure conditions and has been used as a model for other countries. The Icelandic government continues to invest in technological development and infrastructure to further promote the use of geothermal energy.

### Summary
In the 2020s, sustainable geothermal energy use based on regional characteristics, such as in Kusatsu Town, is spreading to other countries. Kusatsu-cho's efforts to coexist with the tourism industry share common challenges with Olkaria in Kenya, Landau in Germany, and the Havel region in Iceland. The geothermal energy utilization models of these regions are attracting attention as examples of how to achieve a balance between energy self-sufficiency and environmental protection, and how to realize a sustainable energy supply while contributing to the local economy.