Hotspots of innovation: advancing geothermal partnership with Japan

Hosted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

The event brought together four New Zealand geothermal technology leaders, GNS Science, Western Energy, Geo40 Limited, and Seequent to showcase our cutting-edge geothermal energy innovations and progress to key representatives from Japanese businesses, research institutions, and government bodies. We each presented the opportunities for collaboration and areas of significant progress for both countries, as well as some success stories from our established partnerships with Japan.

GNS Scientist German Orozco shared updates on our portfolio of geothermal commercial offerings, including our capabilities of resource evaluation and de-risking drilling programmes, which are key value to the Japan market. He also shared our advancements in areas of experimental geochemistry, advanced geophysics and supercritical geothermal. 

While in Tokyo, German took the opportunity to attend meetings with our clients such as Mitsubishi Materials, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, and GERD in addition to attending the embassy event.

In Kyushu, German met with major Kyushu-based stakeholders such as Kyushu Electric Power, who hold about 50% of Japan's geothermal market share, WEST JEC, and Kyushu University. We were glad to meet with our established partners and clients in the regions to reemphasise our commitment and learn about each other’s progress.

The Kyushu region of Japan is especially important ground for New Zealand to share knowledge and build partnerships as it is tectonically similar to New Zealand's North Island. Collaboration with Japan in the renewable energy sector offers deep possibilities and opportunities for us to both share and learn.  

Perfect timing

The event coincided with the announcement of a joint funding initiative from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency focusing on earthquake and volcanic disaster resilience. With this funding GNS scientists are partnering up with their risk research colleagues in Japan to deliver two projects to enhance preparedness to natural hazard events – one of which is building a Japan Aotearoa network for catastrophic eruption planning, the other is to refine, calibrate and test scenarios of earthquake and tsunami generation along New Zealand’s Hikurangi margin.