NTT West and Co-Design Institute win Platinum Award for geothermal model

NTT West and the Co-Design Institute for Regional Revitalization have received the Grand Prize and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 14th Platinum Awards. The recognition is for the “Waita Model,” a community-led geothermal power project in Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture.

The model features a cooperative structure where local residents, represented by Godo Kaisha Waitakai, act as the primary business entity. This approach ensures that the environmental and economic value of renewable energy remains within the community. By utilizing a virtual Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) system, the renewable energy value generated by the Waita geothermal plants is utilized by NTT West, creating a circular economy that reinvests profits into local infrastructure and cultural preservation.

In addition to energy production, the project has facilitated the revival of the 700-year-old “Take-no-yu Bon Odori” traditional dance. Moving forward, the initiative aims to expand its benefits to the entire population of Oguni Town and develop cross-border learning programs that use the geothermal site as a field for corporate human resource development and ESG promotion.