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from the taking-hot-springs-to-the-next-level dept.
Friday, March 11, 2011, Japan was rocked by the largest earthquake ever to strike its shores. The 9.1 magnitude quake triggered a devastating tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people. It also took out the back-up emergency generators that cooled the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant complex, causing a series of catastrophic meltdowns.
But amid the chaos, the Yanaizu-Nishiyama geothermal power plant in Fukushima prefecture didn't miss a beat. Along with two more of the nine geothermal power plants in the region, the 65-megawatt facility continued to generate power, even as many other power plants around them failed because of damaged equipment and transmission lines.
[...] In a country as seismically active as Japan, it was a clear signal that geothermal energy was worth investing in.
http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/1/15/14270240/geothermal-energy
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday January 17 2017, @03:05PM
Why is geothermal resistant to earthquakes? The technology is essentially the same as any other plan, i.e. a big turbine and a cooling water circuit. If anything it is more sensitive because the water circuit has to go km underground.
Point is nuclear requires considerable inspections before it'll be allowed back in operation. The geothermal plant can just keep running.