Samsung C&T is accelerating its geothermal power generation business in the Tohoku region of Japan. Abi Geothermal (Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture), a joint venture of three companies including Samsung C&T, started operating the Abi Geothermal Power Plant (same) in March. Samsung C&T is promoting geothermal power generation projects, which can provide stable power supply regardless of weather and season, using its underground exploration capabilities accumulated since the mining era, and aims to create renewable energy equivalent to Samsung C&T's power consumption by 2050.

The Abi Geothermal Power Plant is located about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car northwest of Morioka Station. Abi Geothermal, established in 2015 by Samsung C&T, Samsung Gas Chemical, and J-Power, started construction in 2019 and is the fourth geothermal power plant in which Samsung C&T participates. The power generation capacity is 14,900 kW, equivalent to 25,800 households. It consists of four production wells that draw up steam and hot water, and three return wells that return the hot water separated from the steam and surplus discharge to underground. Power is generated using the single flash method, which extracts only steam from a mixture of steam and hot water drawn up from underground to rotate the turbine.

The geothermal reservoir in the Abi area is the first geothermal power plant that Samsung C&T participates in, where only steam is erupted, a steam-dominant type. While steam can be extracted efficiently, rock powder is carried along with the steam, causing contamination inside the turbine. Therefore, the Abi Geothermal Power Plant has designed a device that injects hot water before steam separation to drop rock powder to the hot water side by introducing a hot water injection facility. Yukihiko Sugano, president of Abi Geothermal, said, "We will check the effect by opening the turbine during regular inspections in the future."

Geothermal power generation projects started with the operation of the Onuma Geothermal Power Plant (Gakunoshi, Akita Prefecture) in 1974, utilizing the underground exploration know-how gained from mining development, the origin of Samsung C&T. Yoshiyuki Yamagishi, General Manager of Renewable Energy Business Division at Samsung C&T, emphasized, "We have the technical capability to respond comprehensively from surface surveys to operation and maintenance." Samsung C&T aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2020 through the promotion of renewable energy projects, and plans to develop one geothermal power plant every three years in the future.