Our Corporate Communications staff spend time getting to know Sumitomo Corporation's different business sites around the world, reporting on how the people at those sites work. We will keep you up to date with the world of Sumitomo Corporation, which extends to every corner of the globe.
Katsuhiko Onishi,
Mass Media Relations Team and Publications Team, Corporate Communications Department
Upon joining the company in 2007, Onishi was assigned to the Corporate Communications Department. After tested by fire, he is now in charge of Mass Media Relations related to infrastructure and is responsible for creating and maintaining the “SC WORKMATES”, one of the contents of this website. His hobbies are singing and driving.
Full turnkey
A type of facility construction contract that covers every aspect of the job, ranging from civil engineering to installation of equipment and trial operation
Generation capacity
The maximum amount of electricity an electric power plant is capable of generating
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In the center of the photo is the geothermal power plant. Part of the steam to be fed into the cooling tower can be seen rising from the facility. About 70 to 80% of the steam extracted from under the ground is condensed back into water and returned to the geothermal reservoir to be used again.
The world's most beautiful geothermal power plant
The next spot I visited was the Wayang Windu geothermal power plant located amid the mountains of southwestern Java. Here, power is generated by an environmentally friendly means using steam that exists underground. This power plant was constructed and delivered to a privately owned power company in February 2009 under a full turnkey project in which Sumitomo served as the main contractor, with main power generation facilities supplied by Fuji Electric Systems Limited.
The road leading to the power plant runs through a vast stretch of tea plantation
The power plant, constructed in the most picturesque of settings, can be reached by a three-hour drive from Bandung. A volcanic zone at a height of 1,700 meters above sea level, the area is home to a variety of plants. The Java tea plantation developed during the colonial period sprawls across the slopes, providing a beautiful panorama. The power plant, built on a hill surrounded by this scenery, is reputed to be one of the most beautiful geothermal power plants in the world.
Steam is extracted from the steam reservoir and conveyed to the power plant through a pipeline
In Indonesia, a geothermal power source equivalent to about 1,200 megawatts has been developed so far, with the total geothermal energy potential—a generation capacity of 27,000 megawatts—yet to be exploited. As geothermal power generation is dependent on natural formations, special efforts are needed to ensure stable generation. According to a local engineer, “Even though the position and shape of the subterranean steam reservoir and the substances contained in the steam are theoretically the same within a certain region, there are slight differences depending on where you dig. Also, all the hard work of detecting and drilling into a subterranean steam reservoir could end up being in vain if a failure occurs in the water cycle within the system, resulting in the depletion of the steam supply. The steam could even suddenly disappear if a crustal movement occurs. Therefore, detailed investigation and designing are crucial for addressing or avoiding such situations.” Furthermore, geothermal power generation requires a well-designed pipeline to efficiently convey the ejected steam, which is over 180 degrees Celsius, to the power plant. When designing a geothermal power plant, therefore, the main points that need attention differ significantly from those of thermal, wind, photovoltaic, and other types of power generation plants.
When laying a pipeline, thermal expansion of the pipes due to heat from steam as well as earthquakes needs to be taken into account
In designing such a complex system, the technologies and expertise of Japanese heavy electric machinery manufacturers, accumulated over long years of experience in the region, play a crucial role. Power generation plants jointly developed and delivered by Sumitomo and Fuji Electric Systems Co. Ltd comprise over 40% of all power plants in Indonesia, indicating the extent of the experience accumulated by the two companies in the country. Furthermore, the Indonesian government is intent on expanding its geothermal power generation capacity to 6,000 megawatts by 2020, which will provide Sumitomo with many more opportunities to contribute.
Because I tend to spend most of my time in an office working on various public relations activities, I usually do not visit the frontlines of business to see for myself. The sheer enormity of the power plants therefore stunned me. I was also surprised by the fact that, although both were built to generate electricity, the designs of the thermal and geothermal power plants were so different, with each adopting innovative ideas to suit their respective needs. The experience of taking a plant tour at an altitude of 1,700 meters, where the air was thin, however, was not something my body was overjoyed by. It seems being tied to a desk has left me soft.
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