Through its Strategic Energy Plan, Japan is seeking to double its use of renewable energy by 2030.
The country has abundant geothermal energy reserves and has recently seen a surge in small-scale geothermal power plants. Japan has the highest density of geothermal power plants in the world and is second only to the US in terms of the current number of operational geothermal power plants.
In June 2024 Seequent CEO Graham Grant joined other New Zealand’s businesses on an official delegation to Japan led by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, to connect with industry and share geoscience expertise and meet some of Seequent’s customers and partners in Japan.
”Seequent’s software solutions have been deployed by organisations in Japan for over ten years, and we see great potential for further collaboration to support the country’s goals to increase its reliance on renewable energy sources says Graham Grant
CEO Graham Grant and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Japan
Seequent provides software solutions to energy, mining, and civil infrastructure organisations,including Idemitsu, West Jec (West Japan Engineering Consultants) and GERD (Geothermal Energy Research and Development).
Through our academic program, Seequent’s software is used by over 500 universities worldwide to further human understanding of the earth, including more than 20 universities and research institutions in Japan including the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University.
Reflections on longevity and the pace of change
Reflecting on his visit, Graham said it reminded him of the importance and power of looking far into the future. One of the customers he met was Sumitomo Corporation, a brand that is 400 years old. Panasonic, founded in 1918 by one person with a vision to transform people’s home lives, today employs 230,000 people pursuing relentless innovation over decades.
He found the pace of technological change and innovation astounding. One of the delegation visits was to Astroscale, which is pursuing a vision to clean up space junk, one of the world’s emerging unsaid resiliency challenges.
The Seequent team with customers and partners in Japan celebrating the Rugby World Cup in 2019
Seequent’s latest geothermal initiatives in Japan
Seequent is a global leader in subsurface software for the geothermal industry.
Seequent recently signed a multi-year agreement with a major energy company to continue supporting geothermal power development projects domestically and internationally, including in Indonesia.
Our software is also being used to derisk geothermal development projects for one of Japan’s largest energy operators through the integration of their geological and reservoir modelling workflows.
On the research side Seequent is continuing our partnership with GERD (Geothermal Energy Research & Development) to support the geothermal and underground resource community through research and technical services. We are also supporting a government-sponsored research program to explore new innovations in geothermal.
Underground models of the Yamagawa geothermal field in Japan created in Seequent’s 3D modelling solution Leapfrog Energy by West Jec Wulaningsih et.al,
”Japan is a significant partner for New Zealand, and this mission provides valuable opportunities for our businesses to engage and collaborate. It is good to see companies such as Seequent, with expertise in technological innovation, particularly in the renewable energy sector, as part of our delegation.
says Christopher LuxonNew Zealand Prime Minister