Quiet Onsen Innovation - Toyako Onsen and the Challenge of Exhaust Heat (2008-2009)
The introduction of a waste water heat pump system at Lake Toya Onsen in Hokkaido, Japan, which began in 2008, quietly changed the way tourist attractions operate. The company invested approximately 200 million yen to convert from a conventional heavy oil boiler to a system that reuses waste hot water, and after full-scale operation in March 2008, the use of heavy oil was completely halted, and the resort embarked on the path to energy independence.
Even if the price of heavy oil were to remain at 56 yen per liter, the company expects to save 59 million yen per year. Not only fuel costs but also CO2 emissions have been greatly reduced, achieving both environmental and economic benefits. This method of utilizing local resources is truly worthy of being called "the wisdom of the hot spring resort.
This approach was also in line with the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in 2008, symbolizing the growing environmental awareness of the region. Toyako Onsen is now a small model of a sustainable society where geothermal energy and tourism coexist. The heat of the future is surely still alive in the tranquil steamy atmosphere.
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