INPEX to expand its geothermal, offshore wind power business

Japan's INPEX company will expand its geothermal and offshore wind power business, aiming for 1-2 GW in the 2030s, the company told Trend.

"As core areas of ??our renewable energy business, we aim to expand business mainly in Japan, Europe, Southeast Asia centered on Indonesia, and Australia.

In terms of renewable energy, the fields where we can make use of the technology and experience we have cultivated in our core business (oil and gas development and production) are the geothermal business and the offshore wind power business, centered on floating systems," said the company.

Since 2011, INPEX has been participating in joint geothermal development studies in Japan in the Oyasu area of Akita Prefecture and the Amemasu area in Hokkaido. As part of these studies, seven exploratory wells were drilled in the Oyasu area while six were drilled in the Amemasu area between 2013 and 2017. In 2018, flow tests were conducted at the exploratory wells in the Amemasu area and at the pilot wells in the Oyasu area. Meanwhile, an environmental impact assessment was initiated as a step toward commencing commercial operations in the Oyasu area.