Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co., Ltd.

Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co., Ltd. (GERD) is a Japanese company specializing in consulting and research and development for geothermal development and related subsurface resource fields. Established in November 1975 under the guidance of the former Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), it was formed through joint investment by private companies involved in Japan's geothermal development sector, with the aim of participating in the Sunshine Project's geothermal R&D and fostering a technical consulting business through the introduction of advanced technologies. The company is headquartered in Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, and operates with a capital of 114 million yen (authorized capital 150 million yen). It is jointly owned by 31 shareholder companies, including major Japanese corporations such as IHI, INPEX, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric Power, Kyushu Electric Power, Toshiba Energy Systems, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Materials. As of January 2023, GERD employed 45 people. GERD's business activities span four main fields: geothermal power generation (including hot spring heat), subsurface resources (oil, natural gas, metals, groundwater, methane hydrate, etc.), environment and CO2 geological storage (including HLW, CO2 storage, groundwater contamination, civil engineering), and earth science and disaster prevention (seafloor, scientific drilling, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.). The company provides consulting and research and development services related to subsurface investigation and development, and it partners with overseas companies to offer cutting-edge technologies in exploration, drilling, well investigation, and reservoir engineering. GERD is involved in national projects such as carbon-recycle CO2 geothermal power generation and supercritical geothermal power generation, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. It also applies its technologies to oil and gas development, CO2 geological storage, radioactive waste geological disposal, seafloor crustal structure surveys, methane hydrate development, civil engineering, and disaster prevention. Since 1976, GERD has published a technical journal titled "Chinetsu Gijutsu" (Geothermal Technology), which covers overseas geothermal trends, explanations of Sunshine Project R&D, industry introductions, and topics. The journal was initially published three to four times a year and recently two to three times a year; it reached its 100th issue in May 2022. With a circulation of 500–600 copies, it is distributed free of charge to government agencies, universities, research institutes, and geothermal industry personnel, and is also available for a fee to interested parties. The latest issue (Vol. 106) includes articles on topics such as the second founding period of TOUSEC, maintenance-free geothermal development, reports on international conferences (IGC2024, New Zealand Geothermal Workshop, EMIW2024), and technical introductions on fiber-optic DAS geothermal resource exploration and carbon-recycle CO2 geothermal power generation simulation. GERD continues to contribute to solving global environmental problems through geothermal energy, a clean and renewable energy source, and aims to develop and disseminate technologies that can contribute to the development of geothermal power generation and other fields.

Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co., Ltd. (GERD) was established on November 13, 1975 (Showa 50), under the guidance of the former Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Its founding purpose was to participate in the geothermal research and development of the Sunshine Project, a national R&D program, and to foster and disseminate a technical consulting business through the introduction of advanced technologies. The company was capitalized through joint investment by private companies related to geothermal development in Japan. At its establishment, GERD had a capital of 114 million yen (authorized capital 150 million yen). In 1976 (Showa 51), GERD began publishing its technical journal, "Chinetsu Gijutsu" (Geothermal Technology). The journal initially covered overseas geothermal trends, explanations of Sunshine Project R&D, introductions to the geothermal industry, and topics, and was published three to four times a year. Over the years, the publication frequency decreased to two to three times a year, but it has continued to the present. In May 2022 (Reiwa 4), the journal reached its 100th issue. The journal is distributed free of charge to government agencies, universities, research institutes, and geothermal industry personnel, with a circulation of 500–600 copies, and is also available for a fee to interested parties. After the Sunshine Project ended, GERD continued to operate by leveraging the technologies and know-how accumulated through R&D and by introducing and fostering cutting-edge overseas technologies. The company made consulting services based on these technologies its core business. Over the decades, GERD has expanded its activities beyond geothermal power generation to include oil and gas development, CO2 geological storage, radioactive waste geological disposal, seafloor crustal structure surveys, methane hydrate development, civil engineering, and disaster prevention. In recent years, GERD has been involved in national projects aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, such as carbon-recycle CO2 geothermal power generation and supercritical geothermal power generation. The company conducts basic research and aims to disseminate the resulting advanced technologies to the geothermal field and contribute to the development of geothermal power generation technology. As of January 2023, GERD employed 45 people, including 4 PhDs, 5 professional engineers, 1 civil engineering consulting manager (RCCM), 2 surveyors, and 2 environmental measurement specialists. The company is jointly owned by 31 shareholder companies, including major Japanese corporations from various sectors such as energy, heavy industry, and finance. GERD is registered as a construction consultant (geology division) and a surveyor, and maintains partnerships with overseas companies to provide cutting-edge exploration, drilling, well investigation, and reservoir technologies.

• GERD established under the guidance of the former Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) with joint investment by private companies.

• Started publishing the technical journal 'Chinetsu Gijutsu' (Geothermal Technology).

• The journal 'Chinetsu Gijutsu' reached its 100th issue.

• Succeeded in the world's first LED lighting experiment using seafloor hydrothermal fluid through a NEDO project.

A specialized technical consulting and R&D firm leveraging over 50 years of experience in geothermal development to contribute to global environmental solutions, with a focus on introducing and disseminating advanced technologies.

• Geothermal power generation consulting and R&D

  Technical services and research for geothermal power generation, including exploration, drilling, reservoir simulation, and environmental conservation.

• Subsurface resources consulting and R&D

  Services for oil, natural gas, metals, groundwater, methane hydrate, etc.

• Environment and CO2 geological storage services

  Services for HLW, CO2 geological storage, groundwater contamination, civil engineering, etc.

• Earth science and disaster prevention services

  Services for seafloor, scientific drilling, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.

• Technical journal 'Chinetsu Gijutsu'

  Published since 1976, covering overseas geothermal trends, R&D explanations, industry introductions, and topics.

1. 1地熱技術開発株式会社 公式サイトwww2.gerd.co.jp
2. 2会社概要 | 地熱技術開発株式会社www2.gerd.co.jp
3. 3機関誌『地熱技術』 | 地熱技術開発株式会社www2.gerd.co.jp
4. 4Geothermal Energy Research And Development Co., Ltd. (Japan) - Wikidatawikidata.org