JPRS ID: 9632 JAPAN REPORT

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• Collection: JPRS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00850R000300090054-0
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• Document Page Count: 38
• Document Creation Date: November 1, 2016
• Sequence Number: 54
• Content Type: REPORTS

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_ JP`RS L/9632 _
~ 27 March 1981
Ja an Re ort
p p
CFOUO 1 ~/81 ~ -
FBIS FORE~GN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE .
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� ~ JP~iS L/9632
- ~ 2 7 March 19 81.
.
" ' JAPAN REPORT
1
~ c~ouo 19/81~
,
- ! CONTENTS
~ ECONOMIC
_ Major Industries' Plant, Equipment Investment Plans for 1981
- ~ Reported
(NiHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN, 2 Feb 81) 1
Government, Private Strategy for Developing New Energy Res~urce
(ENERUGI FORAM[J, Nov 80) 3
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- New Technological Fields of Genetic Engineering, Microcomputers
Advancing
, (Huga Saito Interv3ew; MAINICHI SHIMBUN, 5 Jan 81) 30
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- a- ~III - ASIA - 111 FOUO]
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ECONOMIC
1~1AJOR INDUSTRIES' PLAIvT, EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT PLANS FOR 1981 REPORTED
Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN in Japanese 2 Feb 81 p 1
[Text] While decreased corporate profits are being predicted because of a stagnant
economy, large industries are showing surprisingly 5trong interest in plant and
equipment investment. Accor2ing to the direct survey of 45 major industries con-
ducted by the NIKKEI SHIMBUN, only six firms replied that the plant and equipment
- invest~eent for 1981 (construction base--same below) would be below that of the
, previous year (nominal base) and although the increase is smaller than the increase
of 1980, practically all of the enterprises planned bigger investments than the
previous year. The management [of ma,jor industriesJ prediction holds true, in
this respect, for all domestic plant and equipment investments. Supported by
- electric industr} investments, managements seem to want to aggressively cope with
technological renovations brought about u?ainly by eZectronic~ industry. Further-
more, tk~e majority of these investments are dependent on private capital and hardly
anticipate any monetary i~ducements such as the lowering of the official rate.
However, plant and equipment investments of inedium and sm~ll-medium enterprises
are generally ~xpected to decrease, except for some outstanding ones, and provide
a sharp contrast with the situation of big industries.
. The government's economic prediction for 1981 is that there would be a real growth
rate of 7.3 percent and nominal rate of 10.7 percent, as compared with the previous
year. However, the suL~vey of 45 managements revealed that only 14 fircr.s, or only
30 percent plus, planned investments exceeding 10.7 percent. In view of this
finding, it can be said thar, while tha investment interest of leading enterprises
- is strong, it is not as bullish as the government predicts.
However, only 13 percent of the firms replied that there would be a decrease in
investments from the previous year. Furthe:.more, even firms that indicated
decreases include some, like Bridgestone, which said that "investments would still
be twice that of the average for the pa~t several years." Considering the fact
that the majority of the industries made the largest investments ir. 1980 since
immediately before the first oil shock of 1973, investments planned for 1981 must
still be considere3 firmly committed.
y Thts uutluok is apparent in the overall plans for non-governmental plant and
- equipment investments and in the managements' assessment of the gover.nment's eco-
nomic prediction. Of the 45 firms, only six replied that the goveri~nent'~ predic-
tion was reasonable. The other managements are not as optimistic. However, 90
percent of the enterprises beZ~eve that the rea? growth rate would be over 5 per-
~ cent. Converted to the nominal base, this wou13 be a growth rate approaching the
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two-digit figure. This supports judgement of the managements among the major
industries that non-governmental plant and equipment investment has a sound basis.
It appears that the biggest motive behind the intere::.t of bi~ industries in plant
- and equipment investments is to aggressively cope wi'.h technological renovations,
including, fi~st of all, the electronics breakthrough which is said to have trig-
gered a new industrial revolution. In particul.ar, the Matsushita Electric Indus-
trial Co., Ltd. and Sony Corporat:.on, which are expected to have inc~eased demands
for VTR (video tape recorder), are planning 40 ~to 50 percent increases over the
- previous year. On priority investment items, over 20 percent of all of the manu-
facturers stated, "new technologies and R&D of new products," and a noticeable
feature was interest in items related to biotechnology (biochemistry). It seems
to indicate the arrival of a new trend in technological renovations.
In both domestic and export demands, the outlook is cloudy for the automobile indus-
_ tries but the Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., is planning investments of 280 billion ~en,
its highest ~ver and an increase of 27.5 percent over the previous year. Invest-
ments to increase production were limited to the minimum and priority was p1_aced
on R&D of compact cars, the warld market competition of which is entering a crucial
period.
On the other hand, since 8 years have passed since the first oil shock, views are
- being expressed that investments for energy and resource conservation have "reached
the uppermost limits technologically," but over 60 percent of the surveyed indus-
tries answered that "there would still be returns for the investments." Especially,
of the non-manuf acturing corporations, 11 of the 12 firms showed an aggressive
attitude toward increasing investments for energy conservation purposes and there
are views that "energy conservation for private homes will become important from
now" (Yoshimi Mizukami, president of Hasegawa Komuten Co., Ltd.). Even in the
manufacturing industries, new fields are opening technologically "because micro-
computers have changed the purposes of energy conservation investment" (Yosh:~taro
Magoku, vice president of Toray Industries Inc.).
In this industrial situation, the noticeable feature of the~recent survey was the
far_t that firms making investments to increase production had increased surpris-
ingly. Pi.rms which gave "increased productive capability" as ttieir investment
motive occupied over 60 percent of the entire group. Among these, in addition to
electrical and automotive industries, bas~.c industries such as steel, petrochemi-
cals, etc. which had been making only renovation investments,'are drawing attention
by their partic3pation. There are indications that the basic industries, which
survived two consecutive oiJ. shocks and received the direct blows of spiraling oil
- prices, have finally recovered and are ~ieginning to have confidence in their future
outlook. ,
Thus, following 1980, high investment levels are planned for 2 straight years but
in raising capital, there are 25 firms, or over half, which plan to manage with
their owzi funds. In reply to the question, "will investment plans be readjusted
if the official rate is lowered during the investment period," only one firm replied
that "there was a possibility of read~ustment." It is.~clearly evident that big
industries have drawn up the plant and equipment investment plans on the basis of
their own firm economic assessments and will ~zot be. swayed by slight:changes which
. ,
normally occur in the economic environment. -
COPYRIGHT: Nihon I:eizai Shimbun 1981 `
9i3a .
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ECON~IIC
GOrVERNMENT, PRIVATE STRATEGY FOR DEVELO~PI~1G NEW ENERGY RESOURCE
Tokyo ENERUGI FORAMU [ENERGR FORUM] in Japanese Vol 311 No 26, Nov 80 pp 66-82
[Article: "Japan`s Challenge Extending Iato the 21st Century; Resources Are Limited,
but Technologies A~re Not; A System to Tackle the Development of New Energy Iias Been
- Organized with the Concerted Efforts of Government and People; This Event, Which Is
Epoch-Making in Modern Japanese Induetrial History, with Forceful Development ~f
Strategy and United Efforts of Government and People, Will Bring Victory to Japan's
Cnallenge Extending In~o the 21st Century"] ,
[Text] Energy is indispensable in our daily lives and the developmenr~ of economy and ~
society. The demand for energy in this country has increased rapidly with the
development of the econamy so much so that Japan is today the second largest energy
consuming national after the U.S.--one-tenth of the World's energy consumption..
What enabled such a rapid increase in en~ergy consumption was cheap and plentiful
petrol.eum. However, total dependence on petroleum made Japan's energy supply ~
structure weak and fragile. The petroleum shock of 1973 revealed very clearly how
much Japan's economy and society degended on imported oil.
~ The situation surrou.nding petroleum overseas since then has become more and more _
unstable. Every single event that takes place in ths Middle Ea.st and its development
is closely watched by the world, and ever}~~one scramblea to sscure petroleum for
himself tjme and again.
In order to maintain and develop a modem economy and society which are built on the
foundation of consuming a large amount of energy, how to overcome the insecurity
surrounding petroleum becomes the most grave and urgent problem today.
For this reason, all ma~or countries have each unfolded development of various
energy resources to take the place of petro~leum. In this country, too, in addition
to the development of nuclear energy, further utilization of coal and ING and
development of new energy resourc~s such as solar energy, geothermal energy, coal
liquefaction and gasification, wind power and biomass are being tackled in earnest.
The Sunshine Plan was launched in 19.74 and set intA motion in order to push forward
the activities related to research and development of new energy technologies among
other endeavors systematically and in general.
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The ob3ective of the Sunehine Plan is to create clea~ en~rgy through development of
new technologies centered around four new energy resources; solar, geothermal, coal
(liquefied and gasif ied), and hqdrogen over an extended period reaching into the
year 2000. Research and development activities over the past 7 years have progresr~ed
nore or less smoothly, and some of the ma3or pro3ects have progressed from the bas~.c
, research stage into the development stage including plant construction.
Stepping Up the Drive for the Sunshin~e Plan
A crisie in Japan's energy supply was again triggered bq an Iranian distuxbance the
year before last. Internationally, an agreement ~oncerning cutback on petroleum
imports ~nd development of energy resources as a substitute for petroleuia was
reached at the Tokyo Summit held in June l.~st qear. The understanding of the
severitq of ene~gy situation was thus deepened and the expectation for the new
energy was notably raised.
The attitude toward the drive of the Sunshine Plan was e:camined. by every side
against these settings. The New Energy Development Office belonging to the Industry
ana Technology Council, an advisor, org~n to the Minister of Commerce and Industry,
has over the past 6 months repeatedlq aad carefully examined this matter and it has
reported the need for stepping up the drive for the Sunshine Plan.
In response to the recent development in domestic and foreign en,ergy situations, the
report recommenda that the Sunshine Plan, which was originally drafted as a long-
range plan extending into the year 2000, be carried out in cooperation with the
general energy policy in order to supply as much new energy as possible as soon as
possible. Among all the development ftems being studied, those new energy technologies
which show signs of being able to provide a l~rge quantity of energy at an early
stage should be given priority and concrete goals for the utilization of these new
energy technologies be established.
Those themes which are to ba given priority include coal_liquefactic:z technology,
- deep geothermal power generation technology, and solar energy power generation
technology.
Coal liquefaction technology is a technology which is to raise coal, the reserve o�
which far surpasaes that of petroleum and is also distributed all over the world, to
a level compa~rable with Y2troleum by elininating the inconveniences of handling the
solid fuel by converr_ing it into liquid. This is the technology which is pursued
most ehthus3.a~tically worldwide today. ~
According`to the new Sunshine Plan, a goal has been set to supply an amount of energy
equivalent to more than 15 million kilolitera (approximately 290,000 barrels/day) of
petroleum in liquef ied coal by 1990, and the development of pilot plants and demon-
stration plants is being pushed~ ferward in earaest in order to establish the
utilization technology as soon as possible.
The deep geothermal power generation technology is a technology which is to exploit
the rich geothermal energy of this country which is well known for its volcanic
activities and to utilize it for the pui�pose of power generation. The geothermal
energy resources are purely domestic energy resources. A country in need of natural
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resources such as ours ought to try to make the best use of these geGthernial
resources to the best of its ability. In order to be able ~o realize large-scale
+ utilizaCion of these resource~s, in addition to the exploitation of the shallow
(approximately 1,500 meter deep) geothezmal energy, we ought to begin exploitation
of the deep geothermal energy at deptbs in the range of 3,000-4,000 meters.
, However, at such a depth, confirmation of its existence becomes increasingly more
difficult and so is drilling on account of the higher temperature encountered. In
order to make this exploitation economically feasible, both the exploitation tech-
~ nology and the drilling technology must be f irmly established first. The new
Sunshine Plan aims to supply an amount of energy equivalent to 7 million kiloliters
of petro~.eum by 1990.
The solar energy power generation technology deals with an inexhaustible energy
resource. However, its density per unit area. is small and also varies w3dely
according to the weather, time, and season. Therefore, the solar energy technology
is a technology which attempts to concentrate the solar energy attd transform it
_ into a form�which can be easily handled by man. Various technologies for converting
- the solar energy into these significant forms of energy include, for example,
solar space coolir.g and heating system (the solar system) and solar energy power
generation. The former in particular has already reached a stage to try out its
popularization as a result of the past technological development. chi the other hand,
" a solar.power generator which can be installed for each family is considerP~ to suit
the situation of this country best, so that development of the technolagy which can
lower the cost of salar power generator is being pursued in earnest today.
It is expected that this solar power generator and the solar system combineci together
~ will be able to convert solar energy equivalent to approximately 7 million kilo-
litera of petroleum and deliver it by 1990.
Therefore9 the Sunshine Plan must be stepped up in order to achieve the goal of
supplying a considerable amount of energy by 1990 and a11 efforts for development
ought to be carried ouz with this goal in mind. An approximately similar conclusion
was arrived at by the demand aad supply study group of the general energy inaesti-
gation cammittee which examined the perspective of energy demand and supply.
Conditions for Stepping Up the Drive of Sunshine Plan
In order to realize the goals indicated by these reports, and to carry out the Sun-
shine Plan in an effective format, it goes without saying that research and develop-
ment must put emphasis on those technologies which are compatible with the existing
- energy aupply system.and are also easily applicable and popularized. At the same
time, a system capable of strongly backing up a smooth execution of the speeded up
plan must be built.
The following activities were carried out in 1980. (1) The fund needed for the long-
range development was secured. (2) A Consolidated New Energy Development Organi-
- zation which coordinates the development capabilities of the governmcsnt, the
academia, and the people was established. (3) A New Energy Foundation which
coordinates efforts related to the new energy development and utilization and
directs the course of action in the private sector was organized. (4) On the part
of government, new Iegislation was passed which clearly defines the policies con-
cerning development and introduction of various energies (including new energies)
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as petroleum subatitute and development and introduction of alternate energies.
Thus, the framework to promote the development of new encrgy has been completed. It
is expected that efficient developmeat and utilizatioa of new energy sha11 be
realized in the future by allowing these to function properly.
(1) Securing Fund for� Long-range Development
The capital aeeded for development will increase rapidly when plant development
begins in eamest in the future. In order to achieve the goals of the plan centered
around the key themes, it i.s eatimated that 2.4 trillian yen (public fund 1.6
trillion yen, private fund ~00 billion yen) will be needed.. In order to carry out
the pro~ects according to the plan smoethly, the required capital must be supplied
to the aystem stably so that not only tbe general account capital must be expanded
but also the special account capital must be put to practical use.
In 1980, an electric resource diversification account was newly established under
the apecial account for the promotion of electric resource dev~lopment, and at the
- same time an electric resource de~el~~ment promotion tax was introduced as the source
of revenue. The fund for the development of p~wer generation technology related to
the development of energy as a ~substitute for petroleum is to be payed from this
account. On the other hand, a~pecial account for the coal and petroleum policy was
renamed "special account for co~l, petroleum, and petroleum-a3.ternate energy," and
the fund~for the development of;various technologies related to petroleum-alternate
energy, except for the power gengration technology, is to be payed from this
account.. As a result, a means of supplying the necessary capital in a stable
manner f or the development of new energy technologies which are expected to be
utilized, especially for plant development whi~h requires a large sum of money, has
been established.
~ (2) Establishment of a Consolidated New Energy Development Organization
According to the Sunshine Plan, the baaic resea.rch and elementary technology research
are to be carried out at the national research iitStitutes and universities. With
the progress of these research activities, the work has gradual.Iy shifted to the
plant developmeat stage. Tfierefore, since 1977, all work related to the plant
development was entrusted to the Electric Resources Development Co (Ltd.) to be
handled collectivelq as part of its businesa acti,vities. �
flow~ver, in order to devFlop the pilot plant and the demonstration plant in earnest~
in the �uture under the premise ar' utilization, establishment of a strong and
flexible development system which is capable of coordinating the capabilities and
the vital forces of various organizations which are capable of�carrying out the
trial-and-error research development and of utilizing the results as well as the
manpower overseas by carrying out the overaeas ~oint venture d@~relopment becomes
indispensable. In October this year~ a C~neolidated New Energy~Development Organi-
zation was established as a bodg to push forward the developmen~ of new energy and
_ to carry out the functions mentioned above. In ac~dition to catr`ying out technological
- development, it also pramotes overseas coal and geothermal technology development
by coordinating and assisting their activi~ties.''
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(3) Beginning of a Ne~a Energy Foundation
To develop new energy technology and popularize it, it goes without saying that in
addition to a powerful government policy, there must be serious support and
cooperation on the part of the industry which must carry t~e burden of developing
it into an enterprise and utilizing it. Frankly, the laading role of development
and popularization must be played by the private sector, the eaergy user. W3thout
positive participation by the private sector, the so-called technological develop-
ment plan can be reduced to a painting on the wall.
Asswming that the government is to implement the policies described iai (1) and (2)
above, the private sector has expressed ita participatioa in and positive support
for the new energy development in the form of an official announcement on 17
September of the establishment of a New Energy Foundation. In addition to the
technologi~al development activities carried out by this organization, the foundatioa
provides from the private sector support and cooperation to various activities
related to the dpvelopment of new energy technology carried out all o~~er this country
and straightens the course of action of technological development in this country
by offering timely and necessary suggestions. In order to help new energy get a
good foothold fn this country, the foundation will consolid~te various necessary
condit~ons for the utilization and popularization of these technologies which have
alreadq been developed. Therefore, the foundation will promot~ coalition of the
concerned enterprises interested in the deve].opment of new energy. Moreover, the
foundation will serve as a private base to carry out exchange overseas.
Furthermore, by carrying out various bus~ness activities to promote activities in
the private se~tor to develop medium and small scale hydropower, geothermal power,
_ and local energy, the foundation is carrying out the function of a center on the
- private level to promote the development and introduction of the petroleum-subst itute
energy into this coun~ry.
(4) Legislation of Laws Promoting Developmeat and Introduct~on of Petroleum-Alternate
_ Energy
In order to ~ggressively carry out the develflpment and introduction of petroleum-
alternate energy including the new energies, cooperation and agreement between govern- ~
m~nt and people are indispensable. This law pr~scribes the organization and the
business responsibilities of the Consolidated New Energy Development Organization
which is the nuclear driving force of the activities related to the development of
the new energy. The law also makes it very clear that the goals of petroleum ~
- alternate energy development, or the "supply goals," are to be establis~ed by the
Minist8r of Commerce and Industry through cabinet meeting, and that an "introduction
guideline" to guide the private sector in introducing the petroleum alternate energy ~
will be prepared and published. The future measures and direction of action are
clearly prescribed by the law~ Both government and people should exert their
efforts according to what the law prescribes.
Thus, a system involving both government and people has been organized for the
express purpose of pursuing the deveiopment of new energy technology. We must all
work together within this framework toward the realization of depetroleumization--
to capture the assurance of Japan's economic security. ~
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[By Iwao Okayama, Research and Development Off icer, Sunshine Plan Drive Aeadquarters,
Institute of Industry and Technology: "Ne~ Energy--Development Plan for'the Whole
- Pro~ ect" ]
Geothervial Energy--Establish New Exploration Technology In Order To Expand Utilization
This country is one of the prominent volcanic countries of the world so that it is
coneidered to be endowed with a very ricb geothermal eaergy resonrce. Namely, there
are 65 volcanoes in this cowatrq and more than 200 so-called geothermal zones
including these volcanoes. Aai estimate based on the data available froo4 some 50
zones, the total geothermal energy reserve amounts to apFroximat~Iy 30 million
kilowatts (kW).
Iavestigations carried out in the paet were limited to local investigation of the
- ~elltale aigns on the surface of the ground. A nationwide geothermal resource
general inspection which was launched in 1980 and was to last 3 years is expected
to provide a more reliable figure for the total reserve in the future. -
There are sfx geothermal power generating statioas in operation in Jagan today,
generating a to~a1 of 12,000 kW, and a 50,000 kW capacity atation is under con-
struction. Although there has not necessarily been sufficient development so far, _
ar_cording to a tentative perspect~ve of the long-range energy demand and supply
published by the consolidated energy investigation committee in August Iast year,
development is expected to reach 10,000 kW by 1985; 35,000 kW by 1990; and 70,000
kW by 1995. This perspective is based on an assumption that geothe~mal p~wer
g~eneration will become more and more economically competitive as the price of oil
_ continues to rise and that the investigation of promising geothermal zones has
advanced so ffiuch so that exploitatioa activities by the private enterprises have
became very active.
As part of the geothermal energy utilization, power generation technology may be
said to have reached t~?e level of practical application. However, as a result of
the Sunshine Plan and various activities related to the nationwide geothermal
- resource investigation together with the newly developed technologies, utilization
of tl~e geothermal energy is expected to increase by leaps and bounds.
To promote the development of alternate energy, a special accounting system was
introduced in 1980 and the Consolidated New Energy Development Organization was
established as the drivin~ parent body of the system. Since then, the budget for
the geothermal energy investigation and the technological development has
increased ~rom 3.576 billion yen 3n 1979 to 8.607 billion yen in 1980, and activities
relat~d to geothermal energy utilization including investigation and technological
development have picked up speed.
- The 1St80 Work Plan
The 1980 business that can be carried out with the general account amounts to a
total of 2.599 billion ye~ and consista of tY~e following three parts.
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The first part is th~ research and development work carried out corltinuously Ly the
various laboratorxes belonging to the Institute of Industry and Technology. For
~ example, development of exploration technology is carried out by the Geological
_ Investigation Office; development of ~.ater~ls for geothermal application, by Tohoku
Industrial Laboratory; and the high-temperature rock power generation technology and
the drilling technology, by the Pollution Resources Research Institute. Each
laboratory does its work aggreasively by expanding its range of research work.
_ The second part is the research work entruated to and carried out by the private
enterprises. Work is entxusted to the individual private enterprises having superior
_ technological power and special research and development qualifications. The
technologies developed in this field include, for examnle, development of cement and
mud for the geothermal application, development of the measurement technology used
- insicie the geothermal well, study ~~f the reduction mechanism of underground hot
water, feasibility study of high-temperature rock power generation technology,
technology for removal of hydrogen sulfide, and scale prevention technology.
_ The third part is international cooperation. We are involved in two international
c~operation pro~ects. The first pro~ect is one sponsored by IEA (International
Energy Agency) concerned with evaluation of the new system and economic f easibility
- of artificial geothermal energy system (high-temperature rock).
The other one is participation in the Fenton Hill Project sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Energy. This project, which is part of the Japanese-American Science
and Technology Cooperation Agreement (signed in May 1979), is a serious joint
development pro~ect foll~wing the nuclear fusion and coal liquefaction project.s.
The pro3ect is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and is to last S years
from 1980 to 1984. Its goals include demonstration and test of a high-temperature
rock power generation system which is to extract 20,000-50,000 kW of geothermal
energy by artificial means from the high-temperature rock. The project is to be
carried out at Los Alamos Laboratory jn Ner~ Mexico. T?ze total cost of the project
is approximately 15 billion yen, one-half of which is alloted to the U.S. while
Japan and West Germany share one-fourth each. The cooperation agreement with the
iJ.S. is being negotiated now.
- The five pro~ ects which will be carried out under a special account have a total
budget of 6.008 billion yen. These are large projects to be carried out according
- to the plan over several years under the new organization. The outlines of these
projects are as follows.
Outlines of the Major Project~
(1) Nationwide General Investigation of Geothermal Resources
The newest and most advanced exploration techniques including exploration using
space- and air-borne instruments will be employed. The investigation activitie~
will be concentrated over the 3 years from 1980 to 1982 and the topographical
structure, the geological structure, and data concerning the geothermal energy such
as underground temperature distributian over the entire nation will be inc lusively
investigated in order to get a hold on the macrostate of the nationwide reserve of
geothermal resources and to construct a nationwide "~eothermal basic map," and
also to carry out a general evaluation of the geothermal reserves.
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As to the aerial exploration technique, a radar ~nage method developed in the U.S.A.
wiZl be used to grasp in minute detail the rift structure ov~r the surface of the
earth and the Curie point method will be used to determ3ne the depth distribution
of a temperature of approximately 550 degrees in the bedrock.
y Employing a space explorat:ton tachn~que, the LANDSAT images will be analyzed in
order to identify the ring structure characteristic of a geothermal zone and also
the thermal deterioration o.E the earth's surface. The underground structure will
be made clear by a gravity i.nvestigation technique. These investigations will be
carried out under tn~ new organization; but the "national geothermal basic map"
will be constructed by the Geological Investigation Off ice based on the newly
= gathered data as well as old data. ~ -
(2) Investigation to Verify the Geothermal Exploration Technology
The typical geothermal zones of this country such as "Seniwa area" (in Akita and
Iwate Prefectures) and "Kur ikoma area" (in Miyagi Prefecture) are to be used as the
subjects of a study which will last 4 years from 1980 to 1983. In this study, a
- consolidated investigation of the earth's surface will be carried out by concen-
trating various known methods of exploration. A boring investigation will also be
carried out, and the two groups of data thus obtained will be compared and their
correlations will be studied in an attempt to systematize an~exploration techno~.ogy
so t'~zat the probability of a reserve at a depth may be ascertained from study of
the surface features. ~ '
In order to analyze the various data obtained from the surface investigation and
from the boring _tnvestigation, and to understand the underground ~tructure, a full-
_ fledged analytical technique employing a large--scale computer will be developed by
the Geologica~ Investigation Office for the purpose of carrying out the actual data
processing.
(3) Development of Power Generating Station With Hot Water Utilization
In order to utilize the hot water:which always accompanies the steam used for
geothermal power generation, development of binary cycle power generation technology,
in which heat of hot w~ter is used to generate a high'pres'sure vapor from a medium
- having a low ~oiling point and its vapor is used in.turn tb~generate electricity,
~ will be ~promoted. Development of total-flowpower generatii~'g plants, in which ..steam
and hot water a~e utilized simultaneously 3n generating elec~ricity, is also to b~~
pursued. � ~
The binary cycl~r~power generation technology, in particul~r,~has already been
successfully tested with a 1,000 kW capacity plant built over 1977-78 actually using
geothermal energy. Presently, technology f or a practical 10,000 kW capacity plar_t
- is being developed.
(4) Develop~8ent of Deep Strata Hot Water Supply System
Aiming at the development of stable geothermal energy of nonvolcanic origin which
exists deep underground in plai:ns for the purpose of space heating and agricultural
applications, a demonstration test will be carried out over a period of 4 years
_ from 1980 to 1983 at a site sou.th of Akita City..
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[By Hideyuki Hayashi, Research and Development Officer, Sunshine Plan Drive Head-
quartera, Institute of Industry and Technology]
5alar Tl~armal Power Generation and Sol.a.r. Photovoltaic Power Generation -
Development of Technology for Verification as well as Pra~tical Utili~ation
- I Outline of Research and Development of Solar Energy
Sola.r energy, which ~s anticipated to be one of the most promising petroleum alternate
energy resourcea, has enormous supply, is free from faulty distribu~ion, and is
- inexhaustible. It possesses unique characteristics no other energy resources have.
- Althaugh there are numerous ways of utilizing solar energy, the Sunshine Plan
pushes research and development activities centered around the following three
fields: application to space heating and cooling and hot water supply system;
solar thermal power, generation; and solar photovoltaic power generation.
Among these, the field of space heating or cooling and hot water supply system which
- requ ires thermal energy at a relatively low temperature of 100�C or so, a portion of _
- the research results incluc3ing the results obtained from experiment, research, and
- development of the solar system for private dwelling (newly built as we].l as
existing), collective housing, and large buildings, and the results of material
research and development centered around solar collector, have already been commer-
cialized, and more and more homes privately owned, gymnasiums, schnols, and business
off ices are beginning to use these devices of late.
_ It is estimated that more than 5,000 solar houses have already been built and those
- equipped with heating and cooling functions have increased significantly in number. _
Utilization of solar energy in the public welfare items such as space hea.ting or
cooling and hot water supply system is entering the stage of popularization today.
Therefore, research and development related to the application of solar energy in
the future will put more-emphasis on the power generation systems, of which, solar
thermal power generation has a pilot system to be used for the verification purposes
under construction. It is expected to be comp~eted within this year. More about
this system wi11 be described later. From the viewpoint of research and development
- budget, therefore, we should like to focus our effort, for the moment, on development
of technology related to so1a~ photovoltaic power generation.
The budget for research and development of solar energy in the Sunshine Plan is as
follows: The total budget for 1980 was approximately 9.5 billion yen. Approximately -
one-third of which is the construction cost for the solar thermal power generation
pilot system.
For 1981, a budget of approximately 8.3 billion yen has been requested for the
development of technology centered around application of solar photovoltaic power
- generation.
As to the research and development system, in addition to the basic research carried
out at the national laboratories, various research and development proj ects are also
entrusted to the universities (basic research) and private enterprises (research and
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development of applied technology and utilization technology). Moreover, we have
maintained close cooperation with the Consolidated New Energy Development Organi-
zatfon which was launched on 1 October, letting this oxganization take charge of
Che development of system for verif 3.cation such as demonstration pro~ ect, and
research and develo~mea~t for prac~ical applicatians such as trial const~uction of
' manufacturing plant.
Solar Thermal Power Generation
A solar thermal power generation system is a system which efficiently collects
salar energy, which is plentiful but low in density and becomes unavailable at
night and in bad weather, stores it, concentrates it, and uses it to generate steam
at.a temperature higher than 300�C, then uses the steam to drive the turbine to
generate electricity. Therefore, the key ba~ic factor in the development is an
effective collector and storage which will collect aunlight effectively and convert~
it into heat through a thermal medium.
Under the Sunshine Plan, research and development of two different systems of
- collector and storage are pushed for~rard. The first is the tower collector (con-
centration type). The sunlight shining upon a large site is ref lected by a number
of flat mirrors to a focal point uear the top of a tower where the light is con-
verted into heat.
The other is the curved surface collectox (dispersion type) using both flat and
curved mirrors. In this case, a large number of individual collectors are distributed
over a site. Under the Sunshine Plan, one collector unit coa~ists of five subunits
and each subunit consists of a curved mirror which focuses light reflected from 20
f lat mirrors arranged in a row.
In order to study the feasibilit3~ of these two methods applied .to the solar therma.I
power generation experimentally,�a pilot plant is being built today at Nio-cho,
Sanho-gun, Ranagawa-ken. It is expected to be campleted by the end of 1980. Each
system has a capacity of generating 1000 kW of electri~ power. Being the first of
the megawatt class pilot stations, their progress is closely watched by those con-
cerned here as well as abroad.
Our future plan of action includes, in.addition to the verif ication of function and
performance from the test runs, various data, both technical and economic, which
" will be gathered and analyzed in order to identify points for improvement and to
explicate various improvement measures. These activities are tied in with the
future development and construction of the large scale plant for practical appli-
cations. ~
On the other ha.nd, in order to achieve eff icient utilization of thermal energy,
basic research..into compound thermo-electric supply system is also being carried
out simultaneously. Construction of a pilot plant for the compound thermo-electric
supply system is also under plan.
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Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation
The solar photovoltaic pow~r generation is a method of converting sunlight directly
inCo electricity through a solar cell. Since this device does not have any moving
parts, it is easy to maintain and manage. It is capable of generating electricity
on site and can be made into module form so that it can respond to the demand easily.
Because of these superior characteristics, its importance and potential have been
recognized since the early stage of its development. However the solar cell is
still very expensive so that today its applications are limited to unmanned light- `
houses and radio relay stations.
Therefore, under the Sunshine Plan, our goal is to lower the price of solar cell
to the order of 50-100 yen per watt by around 1991 and to popularize it to the order
of 3 million kW. For the long-range gaal, the price is to be further lowered,
Therefore, the research and development plan consists of three pillars: reduction
of cost; system technology for utilization; and standardization.
In order to lower the coat of solar cells, we have pushed the development of new
methods of manufacturing solar cell elements (such as ribon crystal, membrane, and
compound semiconductor) to substitute for the conventional silicon single crystal
pull-up metha3. However, in addition to the costdown for silicon, automation and
= rationalization of solar cell manufacturing process too must not be neglected in
, c~rder to achieve reduction of cost. We plan to construct test plants in the future
and carry out development af technology related to this sub~ect.
At present, our plan for 1981 activities includes construction of low-cost silicon
- ~efining plant of 1.0-ton capacity (high purity silicon of IC grade is used as raw -
~ material today) and construction of a solar cell assembly line having an annual
production capacity of 500 k'~J. In addition to these, we also plan to push in
earnest the development of amorphous solar cell which is said to be the favorite of
the future solar cells and also possesses great potential for a significant,costdown.
- As to the development of system technology required for the utilization of solar
cellsa a few problems remain to be solved, such as interconnection with the existing
power system and the tracking function in response to sudden changes in the weather
- conditions. Therefore, we plan to carry out various demonstration projects at
- residential homes, schools and factories in order to test and verify the effectiveness
of the system (construction expected to be finished by 1982). In addition to these,
we also plan to develop a system in which power is generated centrally (power _
" station f ormat) .
On the eide of standardization, it is o~ur plan at the moment to develop a high per-
forma.nce solar simulator and to establish a foundation on which to unify the various
_ dis~ointed methods of conducting evaluation of solar cell performance practiced
today. -
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[By Ichiro Okada, Research aad Development Officer, The Sunshine Plan Drive Head-
quartera, Institute of Industry and Technology]
Coal Gasificat~.on and Coal Liquefaction
From Understanding the Reaction Conditions to the Pilot elant Stage
One of the links of the Sunshine Plan involves effective utilization of abundant
coal resource as clean energy as a meaus of relaxing the energy crisis. By converting
a solid fuel coal cheaply into a gas or a liquid, utilization of coal can be
significantly simplif ied. At the same time, substaaces that pollute the environment
can be removed from coal during the process of its phase conversion process.
Research and development of coal gasification and liquefaction technologies in order
to obtain clean and fluid fuel from coal have been going on for 7 years.
_ So far, the gasification and liquefactioa reaction conditions have been made clear
through the basic research related to the mecl~anism and catalytic action of gasi-
fication and liquefaction processes together with the elemental technology research
related to ~he reactor;and solid-liquid separator and various enginee~ing problems
related to the plant development are being solved today. We can say that research
= and developmeat of technologies related Co coal gasification and coal liquefaction
are now at the stage of pilot plant. ~
Coal Gasification Technology ~
(1) High Calorie Gas Maaufacturing Method
A process of manufacturing high calorie gas, which may be used as city gas or as an
industrial fuel,,by means of pressurized fluidized bed was developed in 1977 and 1978.
Today, a pilot plant having a capacity of 7,000 m3/day is being constructed. The
future plan includes campleting the plant ia 1981, �ollowed by test runs, and then
operational research will be carried out in earnest in 1982.
As the next step from the pilot plant atage, a 50,000 m3/day demonstration plant will
be developed and, by 1990, a cammercialized plaat having a capacity of as much as
350,000 m3/day is planned to be built.
_ (2) Low Calorie Gasification Power Generation Technology
A compound power generation syatem, which incorporates a technology of low
calorie gas manufactured fram coal and used for the purpose of power generation, is
to be established. Today, op eraCioaal research i$ being carried out at a plant
having a capacity of treating 5 tons of coal a day. At the same time, another plant
having a capacity of treating 40 tona of coal a day is being built. The future
plan incZudes completing construction of the 40 ton/day plant during 1980, caxrying
out test runs, and beginning operational research with the plant in earnest in 1981.
As the next step from this study, a gasif icatioa demonstration plant having a
capacity of 1,000 ton/day which is to be used in conjunction with a gas turbine of
100,000 kW capacity will be developed. Oa the other hand, high efficiency gas
turbine af 100,000 kW class will also be developed..and, by 1990, a practical com-
bined gasif ication and power generation plant having coal treatment capacity of
40,000 ton/day and gas turb ine power output of 4 million kW is to be developed.
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Coal Liquefaction Technology
Development of a technology to convert coal into a liquid fuel similar to crude oil
or petroleum has been pushed forward by the research of three different processes:
the solvent extraction liquefac~ion process; the solvolysis liquefaction process;
and the direct hydrogenation liquefaction process. At present, all three processes
- have progressed to the stage of bench scale plant handling 1-2 tons of coal a day.
- The goal set for the development of coal liquefaction technology is to realize
development of a practical plant by 1990. Yet, today we are only at a stage dealing
with plants handling 1-2 tons of coal a day. A aignificantly accelerated drive will
be required in the future.
(1) Solvent Extraction Liquefaction Technology
This is a method in which the soluble portion of coal is extracted by means of
heat-treating a mixture of coal and coal-base solvent at a high temperature and a
medium pressure. A bench scale plant capable of treating 1-2 tons o� coal a day is
being built today. The construction is expected to be finished by 1980 and then
trial run will begin. ~
As the next step from the bench scale plant, conceptual design of a p~ilot plant
capable of treating 250 tons of coal a day will be carried out.
The future plan includes the following based on the results obtained from the 1 ton/
day plant: development of a 250 ton/day pilot plant and development of a commer-
cialized plant of 25,000 ton/day capacity.
(2) Solvolysis Liquefaction Technology
This is a uniquely Japanese method in which coal is liquefied by means of heat-
treating a mixture of coal and asphalt at a high temperature and a normal pressure.
At present, a process involving fused coal has been established and verification
work using a bench scale plant handling 1 ton of coal a day has been completed.
Extension of the process to micro-fused coal and reduction in the amount of asphalt
used and other research to reform the process are being carried aut today. Based
on the results ~f these activities, reform of a 1 ton/day plant will be carried out
in 1981 and development of new processes will be carried out in earnest.
The future plan includes, if the new process becomes established, development of a
pilot p].ant capable of treating 40 tons of coal a day as the next step, follawed
by the development of a demonstration plant of 3,000 ton/day capacity and eventually
development of a commercialized plant of 15,000 ton/day capacity.
(3) Direct Hydrogenation Liquefaction Technology
With this method, coal is liquefied by heat-treating a mixture consisting of coal,
tar, and a mixed oil such as heavy oil in a paste-state at a hi~h temperature and
a high pressure. A bench scale :plant capable of treating 2.4 tons of coal a day is
~ being built today. The work is expected to be f inished by 1981 and then test runs -
will be carried out. -
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The future plan includes, based on the resulta obtained from the 2.4 ton/day plant, ~
development of a pilot plant having a capacity of treating 250 tons of coal a day,
and thea developmer~t of a commerc3altzed plant having a capacity of 25,000 ton/day.
Research and Development System
Developmenti of coal gasification and liquefaction technQlogies has been pushed for-
ward since 1974 aiming at the long-range goals. Aowever, in order to cope with the
tense energy situations here and abroad, under the Sunshine Plan and in cooperation
with the consolidated energy poli.cy, the emphasis of the dsvelopment plan has been
shifted to supplying a considerable amount o~ energy by 1990.
- Among various development themes studied so far, those new energy resources which
appear promising and.capable of supplqing a large quantity of new energy quickly are
- singled out and Apecific~goals for their practical application are established.
Special emphasis is placed on the research and development of these key technologies
in order to accelerate their progress. Development of coal gasif ication and
liquefaction technologies is one of these key pro~ects. .
Therefore, we are'charged with an important mission to develop before 1990 some
practical plants. Yet, as desc~ibed above, we have 3ust begun to develop the
pilot plant. We expect that we will~'hav~ many diff iculties to overcome in the future.
This plan is so enormous in scope ~t'hat neither government nor any single enterprise
alone can accomplish it. The goWernment and people must work together in order to
~
accomplish this important pro~ect. ~
Fortiunately, luck is running high in the private sector,.and since the Consolidated
New Energy D~velopment Organization was orggnized in October to push forward research
and development jointly by government and people, the development system is now .
complete and ready. We expect that the activities related to research and develop-
ment will pick up speed soon.
[By Ko~i Yoshino, Research and Development Officer, the Sunshine Plan Drive Head-
quarters, Institute of Industry aad Technology]
Hydrogen--Staking the Dream of Technological Development on the Ultimate Energy for _
Mankind -
Through its recorded history, mankind began to use wood and charcoal as fuel, then
coal and petroleum, and in more recent years, natural gas. These are all hydro-
- carbons with psogressively amaller carbon content. The activity as fuel seems to
' increase with a decreasing carbon content.
Liquid hydrogen used as rocket fuel in recent years may be regarded as a hydrocarbon
fuel containing no carbon component.
From the changes in fuel over the years, we can se~ that hydrogen�possesses the
= qualities to be called an ultimate fuel.' The characteristics of hydrogen are as
follows: (a). There is no limit to thes:~upply of its raw material. The raw material
. ~
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~ for the produ~tion of hydrogen is the boundless water which can be obtained easily
and at low cost. (b) It is egsentially a clean fuel. (c) It does not upset the
n$tural circulation. Hydrogen ~.�hich is produced from water returns to water af ter
= burning and is instantly assimilated by the environment. (d): This energy can be
, transported and stored easily. -
If hydrogen is generated at the siCe of a conventional power plant by means of
electrolysis of water and the hydrogen thus produced is then transported via a pipe-
- line (ground transport) or by a liquefied h~drogen tanker (marine transport), the
energy cdn be transported more efficiently and economically. For long distance
transportation (more than 500 kilometers), hydrogen is said to be moxe economical
than electric power even if the extra cost for the electrolyeis is taken into con- -
sideration.
It also enables storage of off-peak electric power of a nuclear power generation or
electric power generated intermittently from solar energy, wind power, or wave '
power. Namely, such electric power may be converted into hydrogen and stored, or,
aupply and demand of the electric power can be regulated from a combination between
the electrolysis of water and the fuel cell. -
. (e) Hydrogen has a broad spectrum of applications. It can not only substitute for
~ petroleum as heat source in every f ield of application, but also be used as chemical -
raw material ur in the fuel cell to ~enerate electricity directly.
As described above, hydrogen is extremely v~rsatile. When hydrogen can be produced -
cheaply in large quantity, a great change will take place in the existing energy
system. It is expected that a hydrogen economy which is comparable to the electric
power economq of today will be established in the 21st century.
Research and Development Plan and the Present Status
Research and development of hydrogen energy is being carried out as one of the links
_ of the Sunshine Plan which was launched in 1974. This year was the last year of the
first 7-year period and considerable results have been ach{eved.
The long-range research and development plan for hydrogen energy under the Sunshine
Plan is as shown in Fig. 1 while Table 1 summarizes the budget for research and
development of hydrogen energy technology invested so far. Fig. 2 illustrates the
hydrogen energy research relationship eystem.
(1) Hydrogen Manufacturing Technology _
Traditionally, hydrogen is manufactured majnly from naptha and natural gas by means
of steam reforming process or as a byproduct of electrolysis of sodium chloride as
a process of manufacturing caustic soda.
- (a) Electrolytic Method
Electrolysis of water is a method of manufacturing hydrogen well known from-very
ea.rly days. It used to be the major process of manufacturing hydrogen until a
method of obtaining hydrogen more cheaply from naptha ~as introduced. However, as
the price of petroleum continues to rise, manufacturing hydrogen from electrolysis -
of water has caught the attention once again. More will be expected of this process
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. when hydrogen ia viewed as a medium for storing the off-peak electric power of a _
. nuclear power generation and the electric pow~r which is generated intermittently
from such energy sources as solar energy and wind pawer.
At present., when electric power is obtained mainly from fossile fuels, hydrogen "
~ manufactured by means of electrolyeis cannot compete. Therefore, the goals of
- resear~h and development consist of significar.t improvement in the e:ffici~ncy of _
electrolysis of water, re3uction in the size of equipment, and reduction in cost. _
Therefore, research activities related to the improvement of electrode and diaphram,
- and raising the pressure as well as the temperature of the pracec~s are ag$ressively
pursued.
= Specifically, development of aa electrolytic plant to carry out the process at 120�C
and 20~.atmospheres (conventional process: 80�C and normal pressure) and the
related elemental research are being pursued.
An experimental plant having a capacity of 4 Nm3/h was campleted in March this year.
_ It is being test run and evaluated now. Based on the results of this test, con-
struction of a pilot plant having a capacity of 20 Nm3/h will be planned.
Reaearch on electrolysis of water using solid electrolyte is also being pursued.
This method of electrolysis employs an organic polymer solid electrolyte membrane
(such as NAFION by DuPont) which is a kind of ion exchange membrane. Use of inem-
branea enables the device to b~ made compact. However, there are other problems
which require solution such as the material used and development of electrode and
catalyst and the method of attaching them on the membrane which is strongly acidic.
A device for electrolysis of water having a diameter of 200 mm is under construction
today based on the experience gained in the past.
(b) Thermo-chemical Method '
In an electrolysis proceas, production of hydrogen from an energy source involves
three stages of energy conversion; namely, from thermal energy to mechanical energy,
to electrica~ energy, then to hydrogen. Therefore, the overall conversion
effici~ncy comes to only about 30 percent. In order to raise this efficiency, one
o.f the methods of direct conversYon from thermal energy to hydrogen energy employs
a combination of several chemical reactiona involving alkaline earth metals, iron,
sulfur, and halogens at a temp erature under 1,000�C and produces hydrogen in effect
- by the reaction H2O~H2+1/202 while theae materials are recycled and used repeatedly.
Research work related tolthis method was atarted at the end of I960 as a link of _
the nuclear furnace tieat utilization project by the European Nuclear Power Co-op.
Since then, research on thermo-chemical method has been carried out extensively and
numerous thermo-chemical cycles have been,proposed.
The thermo-chemical method is,still~ati the basic research stage; many years and
months must pass before we can see its practical_ application. At'Ispura Institute,
~ cyclic operation is already being tested in a g�lass apparatus. .Under the Sunshine
- Plan, four kinds of cycles are under study, but they are all at tlie stage of basic
research. ~ ~
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_ (c) High Temperature Direct TEierm4l Cracking Method
In this method, water is dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen (approximately 50
percent) at a high temperature in the range of 2,500-4,000�C and hydrogen is swiftly
separated from oxygen. Nuclear furnace and solar furnace are considered as the
source of heat far thts process. The method is also at the stage of basic research.
' However, generation of
hydrogen was conf~Lrmed in a high temperature xenon arc image
furnace simulating the solar furnace. There are many problems related to this theme
that must be solved including development of materials that can withstand such a
high temperature and establishment of a gas separation technology.
(2) Technologies Related to Transportation and Storage of Hydrogen '
At present, transportation and storage of hydrogen are carried out in bombs (gaseous
hydrogen) and cryogenic containers (liquid hydrogen). These means are disadvantageous
because special treatment and containers are required.
On the other hand, hydrogen has a high tendency to combine with metals and form
metal hydrogen compound. The occlusion rate is very high, as high as the density
of liquid hydrogen. Research into promising metals and various systems of trans-
portation and etorage usin,g theae metals is being carried out.
Most recently, transportation and storage of hydrogen using microballoons have
caught the attention of those concerned.
(3) Utilization of Hydrogen
(a) Combustion Technology
The combustion temperature of hydrogen is very high, and its combustion rate is
very fast so that there are problems related to formation of NOX and backfire.
Nevertheless, it is anticipated that basically no difficLilties will be encountered
in its practical application in the future.
At present, research and development activities centered around catalytic combustion
of hydrogen most suitable for kitchen and space heating applications are being pursued.
(b) Fuel Cell
The principle of the fuel cell is the reverse of electrolysis of water. The chemical
reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is converted into electric energy and utilized.
It involves a simple conversion from chemical energy into electric energy, so that
- electric power generation at an efficiency much higher than that attainable by the
thermal power generation (approximately 40 percent) can be realized theoretically.
Other application technologies that are studied include a study of prime mover.
Just like cambustion technology, prevention of backfire and generation of NOX are
the main problems that rema.in to be solved. So far same success ha.s been achieved
~ith a single cylinder engine by introducing a third valve.
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Internazional Cooperation
Hydrogen has, not only in Japan, also caught tne attention of the European countries
gs the ultimate fuel of mankind.
In "the Third World H~?drogen Energy Conference" held in Tokyo in June this year,
480 delegates representing 25 countries presented numerous theses and exchanged
information among themselves.
A Hydrogen Work Panel was organized under the international organization dealing with
the energy problem, i.e., IEA, and an "association to carry out research and
development plan related to manufacturing of hydrogen from water" was signed in
October 1977. Japan, ~ointly with nine European countries, has also ~oined this
association in order to partic ipate in this international cooperation in research.
At pre'_aent, the coop eration is moatly limited to exchange of information. If the ~
cooperation can be pushed one step further to include such activities as joint
research effort, exchange of researchers~ and divided tasks, development of hydrogen
energy technology ma.y be able to achieve results more rapidly.
[By Tsutcmu Makino, Research and Development Officer, the Sunshine Plan Drive Head-
quarters, Institute of Industry and Technology]
Ocean and Wind Power
From the Stage of Basic Research to the Stage of Practical Application
The consolidated research under the Sunshine Plan not only has a system of constantly
gathering new academic and technological information but also searching to discover
seeds of energy technology which have not yet been systematically researched. Basic
and experimental research works and investigative works on promising seeds have been
carried out in order to promote their growth. As a result of p~st research, a number
of seeds are found to germinate in recent years.
...r~~
"Ocean temperature differential power generation'r utilizing Qceaa energy and "wind
power generation" utilizing wind energy belong ta this category. In~its interim
report concerning the strategy farraccelerated drive of the Sunshine P~.an presented
in November last year by the New En~rgy Technology Development Group belonging to
the Industry and Technology Council which is an ad~isory~ag,ency to the Minister of
Commerce and Industry, these two sub~ecta were picked up together with the four
theanes discussed above as the focal poiats of future effort.
- Ocean Temperature Differential Power Generation
Ocean temperature differential power generation utilizes a temperature differential
of 20�C or so that exists between the warm sea water near the surface of the ocean
_ and the deep cold sea water to generate power by means of a thermal cycle. The
estimated total power generation potential due to ocean temperature differential
power generatioa in ,Tapan's economic waters (within 2A0 miles) is said tp,;~e
approximately 100 trillion kW-h/qr:. This resource m~X be considered baundless so
that the selection of location in~.response to the'demand and according tar.the
technology and economic condition is the only remaining problem.
- ~
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Furthermore, combination between the warm water discharged from the thermal power
or nuclear power station and the deep cold sea water or utilization of solar pond
can also be considered. Although the efficiency is low because the temperature
differential is only 2A�C or so, it is characterized by the boundless amount of
energy which enables steady continuous operatton. According to an estimation, a
several megar~att class g~nerator can compete with a diesel generator used in the
offshore islands, and a 100-megawatt class practical plant ~can compete with"a con-
ventional power plant.
So far, development of heat exchanger and study of its characteristics in tlie oceanic
enviro~ent, research of corrosion and biological pollution of its structural
elements, investigation of oceanic cc:~ditions, construction of resource distribLtion
map, and conceptual design of experimental and practical scale plants have been
carried out. Beginning in 1980 or 1981, evaluation of the security of power generating
system (closed system), investigation of ocean environment, and research and develop-
ment of new power generating cycles (thermal power generation method) and the
_ structural elements will be emphasized. Consolidating the results achieved in the
past and the results which will be achieved by these efforts, a feasibility study
of a 1,000-kW class pilot plant will be carried out and the course for future design
and construction will be charted by the results of these studies.
Although the Sunshine Plan aims at the development of large capacity ocean-based
installation, there are also small capacity land-based power stations. For example,
- construction of a 100-kW unit on th~ Nauru Island designed by the Toden, and a 50-kW
unit of land-based installation on the Tokunoshima designed by the Kyushu Electric
Power are being planned. In addition to these, the Saga University conducted a
mid-ocean experiment last October off the shore of Shimane, while an experiment is
being carried out with an experimental plant built at Imanri.
The eff iciency of this cycle is inherently low because a temp erature differential
of only 20�C or so iF utilized and the true eff iciency will be even lower because
~ a considerable amo~:nt of power is consumed in pumping the sea.water. Therefore, one
of the future research effort will be the development of technology to improve the
cycle eff iciency. There is scale merit to the construction cost, so that a large
scale installation of 100-megawatt class must be built in order to reach the economic
base of the conventional electric power plant. Development of a large scale
installation may be beneficial to the f ishing industry, because the nutritional salt
component of the deep is brought to the surface. However, its environsental impact
must be carefully assessed before~. any action is taken.
Wind Energy Power Generation
Wind energy power generation is a method of generating power by converting wind
- energy by means of a windmill into a rotating power which drives a generator. The
wind energy resource of this country is quite abundant; as much as 7,000 tri113on
_ kW-h/yr, ~and according to an estimate, approximately 5,000 power generating windmills
of 1,000 kW class can be installed. The possible power generating capacity will be
even larger if the mid-ocean locations are also included.
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Wind energy is characterized by its low density (on a~verage, 150-200 W/m2) and large
f luctuations. Therefore, the main theme of research and development consists of
h~w these problems may be overcome and how the energy may be utilized effectively.
The cost for power generation of 100 kW class unit is said to become competitive
with the diesel power generation unit used on the offshore island and the cost of
1,000-3,000 kW class practica],~unit will be comparable with the conventionsl method
of power generation.
In this country, research and construction of a small scale system of several kW
class have been carried out under the Wind Topia Plsn sponsored by the Science and
Technology Off ice. However, we lack the experience of constructing large capacity
installations. Therefore, under the Sunshine Plan, research and de~velopment of
- elementary technology, in~estigation of wind data, and conceptual design of large
capacity installations have been carried out by various research inatitutes and
private enterprises aince 1978. As a result of these efforts, the feasibility of
large scale wind energy power generation in Japan has been esCablished and research
and development of 100 kW class wind energy power generating system will begin in 1981.
At the same time, construction of a wind energy power station of the same class on
Miyake Island was under consideration by the Tokyo Power Co. Therefore, these two
pro~ects were camb ined and reorganized inCo a~ingle plan and it was decided that
further research and development activities would be carried out under the Sunshine
Plan.
The future schedule includes manufacture and factory testing of various elements in
1981, construction in 1982, trial runs in~lud~.ng link-up with the power system in
1983-4, and research and development of even larger capacity installations based on
the results obtained from these activities.
The research topics of ~he future include the solution of technological problems
related to improving the equipment efficiency and responsiveness to the load
- condition of a system which utilizes the low density and variable wind energy,
devel~pment of various technologies to handle the unique wind cha.racteristics
including turbulence created by the mountains and typhoon, reduction of noise and
electric wave disturbances, and thorough environmental assessment to prevent
- destruction of scenery. ~
Other Ocean and Wind Energy Utilization
Research related to desalination of sea water utilizing the ocean temperature dif-
f erential to vaporize sea water under redu~ed pressure, then condense it is being
carried out by Na~asaki University. They successfully carried out a small scale.
. mid-ocean experiment this July. -
Various small scale devices for generating power utilizing wave energy have been
developed since about 10 years ago and actuall~y~,~used as the power source for illu-
minating ligh~houses and buoys by the Maritime Safety Agency. Aiming at development
- of large scale equipment, the Ocean Sci~nce and Technology Center constructed an
experimental ship "Kaimei" carrying on board nine air turbine generators and carried
out various experiments over a period of 2 years from 1978 to 80. They found that
- the stern generator was ab le to generate a maxamum of:300 kW with an average of 50
kW. They have also succzssfully carried out ex~e~imental transmission of powar
~ ashore.
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In addition to these, research activities related to the development of various
forms of wave energy power gen~rntion are also being carried out by many private
enterprio~s. P~rthermore, tidal power generation utilizing the range of the tide
and ocean current power generation utilizing the kinetic energy of the ocean current
and other ideas are also being studied.
Concerning utilization of wind energy, there are plans to develop other forms of
- application besides powex generation such as converting wind energy into thermal
/ energy or dynamic energy and utilize it directly, or stored for future usage.
-I
Japan is a small cou~try xanking Slst in the world in land area. However, its
economic waters have an area which is 12 times its land area, so that when these
_ are counted together, it ranks lOth in the world. Ocean energy and wind energy are
~ both a form of solar energy, so that the total amount of energy obtainable over this
vast area is enormous.
As the Middle East situation grows tenser and tenser and the supply of petroleum
becomes less and less stable, the need to put these clean and renewable energies
to good use becomes more and more urgent. Both government and the private sector
- must work together ~o cultivate a few new energy technologies such as ocean temperature
differential power generation and wind energy power generation which have ge~-minated
from the seede into spiandid young trees today. This is our urgent task.
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Key: (1) Power station building
(2) Thermal energy storage
(3) Cluster of mirror stands
(4) Heat collector
� 23
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