The Matsukawa geothermal power plant in the city of Hachimantai in Iwate Prefecture, Japan has officially resumed operations as of December 2025. This follows equipment replacement and renovation work undertaken by Tohoku Electric Power since 2022. Matsukawa is notable as the first commercial geothermal power plant in Japan and has been operating since 1966.
The upgraded facilities include a new power generation building and cooling tower. The capacity of the new facility is 14.99 MW, which has been reduced from the 23.5 MW of the original facility. This was done deliberately to match the steam capacity of the field. This also allows the facility to sell electricity at the higher FIT rate offered for power facilities below 15 MW capacity.
Removal of the old cooling tower and power generation building will start by July 2026 and is expected to be completed within the year. The geothermal wells will remain as they are.
Aside from power generation, the Matsukawa geothermal power plant also supplies steam and hot water to the nearby villages and onsen facilities. One such example is the hydroponic farm facility operated by Hachimantai Smart Farms. Using hot water from the power plant, the farm is able to maintain a constant indoor temperature of 30 °C, allowing for the year-long cultivation of edamame beans.
Source: Tohoku Electric Power and Iwate NP
