Geothermal power in Japan set to heat up as government drills in

State agency to join exploration, easing risks for developers

20190913 Hokkaido hot spring

Smoke rises from a mountain near Hokkaido's Kawayu hot spring resort. (Photo by Masahiro Shiroyama)

TAKASHI TSUJI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- 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 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. 

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