Renewable Energy Business

Yuzawa Geothermal Power Corporation, which was jointly established with Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc., commenced commercial operation of a large-scale geothermal power plant, the first of its capacity in Japan in 23 years, known as Wasabizawa Geothermal Power Plant in the Wasabizawa and Akinomiya areas of Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture in May 2019.
Unlike photovoltaic or hydroelectric power, geothermal power is capable of providing a stable supply of electricity regardless of the weather and is the most anticipated form of power generation among renewable energy sources for curbing CO₂ emissions and providing a stable supply of electricity in Japan.
Having utilized our underground resource exploration technology, our Group has more than 40 years of experience in the geothermal development and power generation businesses.
As a Group, we will continue to utilize our core technologies to expand our geothermal power generation business.

In October 2014, we started an environmental study concerning a geothermal power project in the Appi area of Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture, and in October 2015, we jointly established Appi Geothermal Energy Corporation with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc.
Appi Geothermal Energy Corporation started the environmental impact assessment process in October 2015, received a verification notice of its environmental impact statement in January 2018 and completed public inspection of the statement in March of the same year. With the addition of Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. in June 2018, the three companies made changes to their systems to proceed with commercialization. Construction work began in August 2019, and started commercial operation of a 14,900kW geothermal power plant in March 2024.

In May 2018, we established New Energy Fujimino Co., Ltd. (NEFC) as a consolidated subsidiary for the purpose of converting food waste to biogas and selling the generated electric power. The company plant commenced commercial operation in September 2020.

NEFC processes 40 tons of food waste per day from food-related businesses such as food factories and retail stores and uses the biogas produced to generate electricity (output: 550 kW). The generated electricity is sold using the feed-in tariff (FIT) system for renewable energy.

Currently, approximately 16 million tons of food waste is generated annually in Japan, of which approximately 70% is incinerated. However, the remaining life of domestic waste disposal sites is said to be about 20 years, and it is difficult to build new ones. Accordingly, the implementation of measures to prolong their life by reducing the amount of final disposal has become a priority. From the perspective of combating global warming, the reduction of carbon dioxide generated during incineration is also a priority.

NEFC has established a unique business scheme to generate electricity using biogas derived from food waste (renewable energy), as well as recycle materials such as waste plastic and sludge generated during processing for use as raw materials or as thermal energy alternatives in our Group's cement plants. This scheme results in zero final disposal waste and a reduction in CO₂ emissions, thereby extending the life of final disposal sites and helping combat global warming.