Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Swedish company Baseload Capital today announced a strategic investment in Japanese geothermal energy developer Furusato Netsuden. The partnership aims to unlock Japan’s untapped geothermal potential and build a replicable model for sustainable energy development worldwide.

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Combining a global investment portfolio with a community-rooted business model, this strategic partnership aims to scale clean, renewable energy respectfully, revitalizing local economies while honoring cultural heritage.

Furusato Netsuden brings deep local roots, trust, and operational expertise to the partnership, while Baseload Capital contributes international investment, global reach and the power of committed owners such as Google and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Japan’s untapped geothermal power

Japan has the third largest geothermal potential globally, with an estimated 23 GW, yet its current installed capacity is only 576 MW. This represents a major untapped opportunity for a country whose Green Transformation (GX) Strategy aims for net-zero emissions by 2050. Geothermal energy is clean, always-on, and space-efficient. That makes it an ideal solution for a mountainous, densely populated nation with high reliance on energy imports and growing clean-energy demand from AI and data centers.

Japan’s geothermal development has been slow, in part, because there’s no common business model that enables communities to share in the benefits. However, Furusato Netsuden and its local partners have developed a system to ensure communities benefit directly from geothermal energy.

The Waita model – a ground-breaking approach

In 2011, residents of the Waita area in Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, formed the limited liability company Waita-kai, which is owned by the community. In partnership with Furusato Netsuden, they set out to develop geothermal power together in a way that would revitalize the community. The name Furusato Netsuden combines the words for “hometown”, “heat” and “electricity”.

A respectful and collaborative business model

This model protects local land rights, ensures development is carried out on a scale appropriate for the area, and guarantees some of the revenues are re-invested in the community. Furusato Netsuden and Waita-kai regularly hold meetings with residents to share updates on operations, development, and environmental monitoring.

A growing geothermal portfolio

• In 2015, the 2 MW capacity Waita No. 1 geothermal power plant began commercial operation.
• Waita No. 2, currently under construction, is expected to deliver 5 MW and go online in March 2026.
• In addition to the 7MW currently operating or under construction in Waita, the overall portfolio includes a tangible pipeline of projects across Japan that are expected to deliver an additional 30+ MW over the next five to ten years.

Alexander Helling, CEO, Baseload Capital:

“Furusato Netsuden has successfully proven that community-based geothermal development works. Through this first investment, we’re proud and humbled to partner with them in scaling this approach, combining local engagement with sustainable energy development. Together, we aim to help Japan reach its 1.5 GW geothermal goal and strengthen national energy resilience.”

Kazuyuki Akaishi, Representative Director, Furusato Netsuden:

“Since 2020, we’ve built a foundation of trust with Baseload Capital, and seen that they are a committed, long-term partner in Japan’s energy transition. Their role as a strategic investor provides financial stability for our current and future projects. They also bring valuable global resources, including technology, business insights and an international network of investors and energy partners.”

Carmichael Roberts, Breakthrough Energy Ventures:

“Geothermal is one of the largest untapped opportunities in the global clean energy transition—providing reliable, carbon-free heat and power that can strengthen energy security and serve communities worldwide,” said Carmichael Roberts, Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “Baseload Capital is demonstrating how to unlock this potential by working hand in hand with trusted local partners like Furusato Netsuden. This partnership is a model for how communities across the globe can harness geothermal power.”

The goal of this partnership is to support Japan’s 7th Strategic Energy Plan and GX (Green Transformation) while establishing a scalable, community-focused blueprint for clean energy development – creating global impact with local roots.

About Baseload Capital:

We lead partnerships to scale up geothermal energy: a 24/7 available source of clean power and heat. Our global portfolio de-risks investments, expands the market and accelerates learnings in collaboration with strong owners and partners. 

Our parent company Baseload Capital invests in geothermal projects worldwide. Our subsidiaries, the Baseload Power companies, build, commission and operate geothermal heat and power plants funded by Baseload Capital. 

About Furusato Netsuden:

Our mission is to promote a geothermal power generation model that can coexist with the local community and revitalize rural areas, while also effectively utilizing geothermal resources in the carbon-neutral era.

Furusato Netsuden was established in 2012. Apart from our existing power plant and project pipeline, we are also advancing development in other regions in Japan and aim to expand this community-friendly model nationwide alongside Baseload Capital and our existing shareholders, including NTT Anode Energy Corporation, Rezil Inc., Matsuoka Kenki Co., Ltd., and The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (Furusato Netsuden Website: https://furusato-nd.co.jp/)

For more information, please contact:
Kristina Hagström-Ilievska CMO, Baseload Capital
kristina.hagstrom.ilievska@baseloadcap.com
Tel: +46 (0) 732330039

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https://news.cision.com/baseload-capital-sweden-ab/r/global-local-alliance-powers-a-new-era-in-japan-s-geothermal-energy,c4227829

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SOURCE Baseload Capital Sweden AB

HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, Narada has built strong capabilities in R&D, manufacturing, and application.

In China, Narada has formed long-term partnerships with leading enterprises such as China Mobile, China Telecom, GDS, ByteDance, and Alibaba. Internationally, Narada stands out as the one of non-local battery brand selected by the top five U.S. data centers, and has successfully expanded into premium markets across Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

The company has successfully developed a complete series of high-voltage lithium battery products, covering 6C/5C/2C/1C discharge rates, to meet the demands of high-end power application scenarios such as data centers.

Narada’s high-voltage lithium battery systems are designed to cover data center backup needs from 10 minutes to 2 hours. These systems offer key advantages such as compact footprint, intelligent management, and minimal maintenance. In recent years, they have been deployed at scale in large data centers opera ted by customers including GDS in China and KT in South Korea.

The HRL series of high-power lead-acid batteries, specially designed by Narada for data centers, feature a design life of 15 years and strong high-rate discharge capability. These batteries are ideal for critical backup scenarios lasting less than 15 minutes, meeting the demands for high reliability and high-density deployment.

Real-world application cases have shown that, compared to traditional lead-acid batteries, the HRL series delivers significant improvements in overall performance and system integration efficiency: a 35% increase in power output, 30% reduction in footprint, 10% lower load-bearing requirements, 37.5% reduction in carbon emissions, and a 15% reduction in initial cost—providing users with superior economic benefits.

Narada will deepen strategic cooperation with leading data centers globally, and seize growth opportunities in emerging digital markets.

 

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SOURCE Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co., Ltd

BEIJING, Sept. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On Monday, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) for the first time at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus” Meeting. This initiative, following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), marks another significant proposal by China. It has received high acclaim and active support from all sides. At a critical juncture when global governance is like rowing upstream – either advance or retreat – the proposal of the GGI comes at the right time. It not only aligns with the common expectations of the vast majority of countries in the world but also vividly demonstrates China’s sense of responsibility as a major power.

As the Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative points out, the current international landscape is undergoing changes and turbulence. The UN and multilateralism are being challenged. The deficit in global governance continues to grow. The existing international institutions have shown three deficiencies. First, serious underrepresentation of the Global South. The collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries necessitates boosting the representation of the Global South and redressing historical injustice. Second, erosion of authoritativeness. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter have not been effectively observed. Resolutions of the Security Council have been challenged. Unilateral sanctions, among other practices, have violated international law and disrupted the international order. Third, urgent need for greater effectiveness. The implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is seriously lagging behind. Issues such as climate change and the digital divide are becoming more salient. Governance gaps exist in new frontiers such as artificial intelligence (AI), cyberspace and outer space. In this context, the reform and improvement of the global governance system have become significant concerns for the international community, with countries around the world eagerly anticipating more perspectives and solutions from China.

In his important speech at the “SCO Plus” Meeting, President Xi systematically elaborated on the five core principles of the GGI: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions. These principles offer profound guidance on the pressing subject of our times of “what kind of global governance system to build and how to reform and improve global governance.”

Among them, sovereign equality is the primary prerequisite for global governance, the international rule of law is its fundamental safeguard, multilateralism is the basic path, the people-centered approach is its value orientation, and taking real actions is an important principle for global governance. These five core principles are fully in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, resonate with the evolving trends of international relations, and carry both a strong sense of historical continuity and highly practical relevance.

For instance, in response to the so-called “pseudo-multilateralism,” which in reality amounts to forming exclusive “small circles,” the initiative clearly affirms its commitment to upholding the authority and central role of the UN. Concerning the vague rhetoric of a “rules-based order,” it explicitly defines the rules as the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Regarding double standards and attempts to enforce “homegrown rules” on others, it forcefully advocates that “international law and rules must be applied equally and uniformly.” These positions of the GGI make it clear that reforming and improving global governance is not about overturning the existing international order or creating a parallel system outside the current framework. Rather, it aims to strengthen the implementation and effectiveness of existing international systems and mechanisms, so they better adapt to changing circumstances, respond more promptly and effectively to global challenges, and serve the interests of all countries, especially developing nations.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the largest developing country, China has always firmly committed to being a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order, and a provider of public goods. The GGI is another important public good that China offers to the international community in the new era, following the GDI, the GSI, and the GCI. The GDI focuses on promoting international development cooperation, the GSI aims to resolve international disputes through dialogue and consultation, the GCI is dedicated to promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and the GGI anchors the direction, principles, and pathways for reforming global governance systems and mechanisms. The four initiatives each have their own emphasis and are complementary, injecting more positive energy into a world fraught with challenges from different angles, and collectively providing strategic support for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

“History tells us that at difficult times, we must uphold our original commitment to peaceful coexistence, strengthen our confidence in win-win cooperation, advance in line with the trend of history, and thrive in keeping pace with the times.” As President Xi has profoundly pointed out, humanity has become a closely intertwined community with a shared future. Enhancing global governance is the right choice for the international community to share in development opportunities and address global challenges. We must stand firmly on the right side of history, and join hands with all progressive forces in the world to build a community with a shared future for humanity and make relentless efforts for mankind’s noble cause of peace and development. This is precisely the significant practical and far-reaching historical significance of the introduction of the GGI.

 

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SOURCE Global Times