Hydroelectricity in Japan

Hydroelectricity is the second most important renewable energy source after solar energy in Japan with an installed capacity of 50.0 gigawatt (GW) as of 2019.[1] According to the International Hydropower Association Japan was the world's sixth largest producer of hydroelectricity in 2020. Most of Japanese hydroelectric power plants are pumped-storage plants. Conventional hydropower plants account for about 20 GW out of the total installed capacity as of 2007.[2]

Conventional hydropower potential of Japan is considered to be almost fully developed, with little opportunity for further capacity increase.[3] In recent years, almost exclusively pumped storage plants were commissioned, significantly increasing the ratio of pumped storage capacity over conventional hydro.[3] The large capacity of pumped storage hydropower was built to store energy from nuclear power plants, which until the Fukushima disaster constituted a large part of Japan electricity generation. As of 2015, Japan is the country with the highest capacity of pumped-storage hydroelectricity in the world, with 26 GW of power installed.[4] After the 2011 nuclear power shutdowns, pumped-storage plants have been increasingly used to balance the variable generation of renewable energy sources such as solar, which have been growing rapidly in recent years.[4]

As of September 2011, Japan had 1,198 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 3,225 megawatt (MW). The smaller plants accounted for 6.6% of Japan's total hydropower capacity. The remaining capacity was filled by large and medium hydropower stations, typically sited at large dams. Cost per kilowatt-hour for power from smaller plants was high at ¥15-100, hindering further development of the energy source.[5]

List of hydroelectric power stations

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The Sakuma Dam
 
The Kurobe Dam
 
The Maruyama Dam
 
The Ueno Dam, lower reservoir of the pumped-storage Kannagawa Hydropower Plant
 
The Futatsuya-Tōshukō Dam
Station Capacity (MW) Prefecture Coordinates Status Type
Akiba Dam 127.1 Shizuoka 34°58′20″N 137°49′42″E / 34.97222°N 137.82833°E / 34.97222; 137.82833 (Akiba Dam) Operational pumped storage
Amagase Dam 92 Kyoto 34°52′51″N 135°49′41″E / 34.88083°N 135.82806°E / 34.88083; 135.82806 (Amagase Dam) Operational conventional
Arimine Dam 534 Toyama 36°29′22″N 137°26′55″E / 36.48944°N 137.44861°E / 36.48944; 137.44861 (Arimine Dam) Operational conventional
Dashidaira Dam 124   Operational
Funagira Dam 32 Shizuoka 34°53′26″N 137°48′54″E / 34.89056°N 137.81500°E / 34.89056; 137.81500 (Funagira Dam) Operational
Hatanagi-I Hydroelectric Dam 137 Shizuoka 35°19′17″N 138°10′59″E / 35.32139°N 138.18306°E / 35.32139; 138.18306 (Hatanagi-I Hydroelectric Dam) Operational pumped storage
Hatanagi-II Hydroelectric Dam 85 Shizuoka 35°18′29″N 138°12′11″E / 35.30806°N 138.20306°E / 35.30806; 138.20306 (Hatanagi-II Hydroelectric Dam) Operational pumped storage
Hiraoka Dam 101 Nagano Operational
Honkawa[6] 600 pumped storage
Ikawa Dam 62 Shizuoka 35°12′38″N 138°13′22″E / 35.21056°N 138.22278°E / 35.21056; 138.22278 (Ikawa Dam) Operational
Ikehara Pumped Storage Plant 350   Operational pumped storage
Imaichi Pumped Storage Plant 1,050 Tochigi 36°49′31″N 139°39′58″E / 36.82528°N 139.66611°E / 36.82528; 139.66611 (Imiachi Dam) Operational pumped storage
Kadonogawa Power Station 800   Operational pumped storage
Kannagawa Hydropower Plant U/C 2,820 Nagano 36°00′18″N 138°39′09″E / 36.00500°N 138.65250°E / 36.00500; 138.65250 (Kannagawa Hydropower Plant) Operational pumped storage
Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Plant 1,200 Yamanashi 35°43′07″N 138°55′47″E / 35.71861°N 138.92972°E / 35.71861; 138.92972 (Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Plant) Operational pumped storage
Kinugawa-Kurobe Dam 127   Operational
Kisenyama Pumped Storage Plant 466 Kyoto 34°53′30″N 135°51′34″E / 34.89167°N 135.85944°E / 34.89167; 135.85944 (Kisenyama Pumped Storage Plant) Operational pumped storage
Konoyama Dam 126 Niigata Operational
Kurobe Dam 335 Toyama 36°33′30″N 137°40′00″E / 36.55833°N 137.66667°E / 36.55833; 137.66667 (Kurobe Dam) Operational
Kuroda Dam 315 Aichi 35°11′14″N 137°28′34″E / 35.18722°N 137.47611°E / 35.18722; 137.47611 (Kuroda Dam) Operational
Maruyama Dam 185 Gifu 35°28′08″N 137°10′20″E / 35.46889°N 137.17222°E / 35.46889; 137.17222 (Maruyama Dam) Operational
Matsubara Dam 50.6 Oita 33°11′39″N 130°59′38″E / 33.19417°N 130.99389°E / 33.19417; 130.99389 (Matsubara Dam)
Masegawa Dam[6] 288   Operational
Matanoagawa Pumped Storage Plant 1,200 Tottori 35°14′44″N 133°29′30″E / 35.24556°N 133.49167°E / 35.24556; 133.49167 (Matanoagawa Pumped Storage Plant) Operational pumped storage
Miboro Dam 215 Gifu 36°08′17.7″N 136°54′38.9″E / 36.138250°N 136.910806°E / 36.138250; 136.910806 (Miboro Dam) Operational
Midono Pumped Storage Plant[6] 122   Operational pumped storage
Miho Dam 7.4 Kanagawa 35°24′37″N 139°02′30″E / 35.41028°N 139.04167°E / 35.41028; 139.04167 (Miho Dam) Operational
Misakubo Dam 50 Shizuoka 35°11′05″N 137°55′54″E / 35.18472°N 137.93167°E / 35.18472; 137.93167 (Misakubo Dam) Operational
Miyagase Dam 24 Kanagawa 35°32′26″N 139°15′09″E / 35.54056°N 139.25250°E / 35.54056; 139.25250 (Miyagase Dam) Operational
Miyanaka Dam 449 Niigata Operational
Nagano Pumped Storage Plant 220   Operational pumped storage
Niikappu Pumped Storage Plant 200   Operational pumped storage
Nishiotaki Dam 234 Nagano Operational
Numappara Pumped Storage Plant 675   Operational pumped storage
Ohashi Dam 615 Kōchi 33°46′13″N 133°20′12″E / 33.77028°N 133.33667°E / 33.77028; 133.33667 (Ohashi Dam) Operational pumped storage
Ōigawa Dam 68.2 Shizuoka 35°09′53″N 138°08′34″E / 35.16472°N 138.14278°E / 35.16472; 138.14278 (Ōigawa Dam) Operational
Okawachi Pumped Storage Power Station[7] 1,280 Hyōgo Operational pumped storage
Okukiyotsu Pumped Storage Power Station (1 & 2) 1,600 Niigata Operational pumped storage
Okinawa Yanbaru Seawater Pumped Storage Power Station[8] 30 Okinawa 26°40′25″N 128°15′56″E / 26.67361°N 128.26556°E / 26.67361; 128.26556 (Okinawa Yanbaru Seawater Pumped Storage Power Station) Operational pumped storage
Okutadami Dam 560 Niigata/Fukushima 37°09′12″N 139°15′00″E / 37.15333°N 139.25000°E / 37.15333; 139.25000 (Okutadami Dam) Operational conventional
Okutataragi Pumped Storage Plant 1,932 Hyōgo 35°14′12″N 134°51′23″E / 35.23667°N 134.85639°E / 35.23667; 134.85639 (Okutataragi Pumped Storage Plant) Operational pumped storage
Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Plant 1,206 Nara 34°7′4″N 135°49′16″E / 34.11778°N 135.82111°E / 34.11778; 135.82111 (Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Power Station) Operational pumped storage
Otori Dam 182 Fukushima 37°12′53″N 139°12′50″E / 37.21472°N 139.21389°E / 37.21472; 139.21389 (Otori Dam) Operational
Sagami Dam 31 Kanagawa; 35°36′56″N 139°11′43″E / 35.61556°N 139.19528°E / 35.61556; 139.19528 (Sagami Dam) Operational
Sakuma Dam 350 Aichi 35°05′58″N 137°47′39″E / 35.09944°N 137.79417°E / 35.09944; 137.79417 (Sakuma Dam) Operational conventional
Sasamagawa Dam 58 Shizuoka 34°58′17″N 138°05′38″E / 34.97139°N 138.09389°E / 34.97139; 138.09389 (Sasamagawa Dam) Operational
Senzu Dam 22.2 Shizuoka 35°13′00″N 138°05′25″E / 35.21667°N 138.09028°E / 35.21667; 138.09028 (Senzu Dam) Operational
Shimogo Pumped Storage Power Station 1,000 Fukushima Operational pumped storage
Shin-Takasegawa Pumped Storage Plant 1,280 Nagano 36°28′26″N 137°41′23″E / 36.47389°N 137.68972°E / 36.47389; 137.68972 (Shin-Takasegawa Pumped Storage Plant) Operational pumped storage
Shinanogawa Pumped Storage Plant 234   Operational pumped storage
Shintoyone Pumped Storage Plant 1,125 Aichi 35°07′33″N 137°45′38″E / 35.12583°N 137.76056°E / 35.12583; 137.76056 (Shintoyone Pumped Storage Plant) Operational pumped storage
Shiobara Pumped Storage Plant 900 Tochigi Operational pumped storage
Shiogō Dam 58 Shizuoka 35°00′05″N 138°05′15″E / 35.00139°N 138.08750°E / 35.00139; 138.08750 (Shiogō Dam) Operational
Shiroyama Dam 275 Kanagawa 35°35′09″N 139°17′22″E / 35.58583°N 139.28944°E / 35.58583; 139.28944 (Shiroyama Dam) Operational
Tagokura Dam 390 Fukushima 37°18′38″N 139°17′13″E / 37.31056°N 139.28694°E / 37.31056; 139.28694 (Tagokura Dam) Operational
Takami Pumped Storage Plant 200   Operational pumped storage
Taki Dam 92 Fukushima 37°23′13″N 139°32′02″E / 37.38694°N 139.53389°E / 37.38694; 139.53389 (Taki Dam) Operational
Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station 1,200 Gunma 36°46′56″N 139°03′23″E / 36.78222°N 139.05639°E / 36.78222; 139.05639 (Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station) Operational pumped storage
Tashiro Dam 40.1 Shizuoka 35°29′55″N 138°14′47″E / 35.49861°N 138.24639°E / 35.49861; 138.24639 (Tashiro Dam) Operational
Tedorigawa I Dam 250   Operational
Tokuyama Dam 153 Gifu 35°39′55″N 136°30′08″E / 35.66528°N 136.50222°E / 35.66528; 136.50222 (Tokuyama Dam) Operational
Okuyahagi Pumped Storage Power Station 1,160 Gifu 35°11′59″N 137°27′31″E / 35.19972°N 137.45861°E / 35.19972; 137.45861 (Tominaga Dam) Operational pumped storage
Yagisawa Pumped Storage Plant 240   Operational pumped storage
Yomihaki Power Station 112   Operational

See also

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References

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  1. ^ https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Mar/IRENA_RE_Capacity_Statistics_2020.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Status of Hydropower in Japan - May 2007" (PDF). New Energy Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  3. ^ a b "ELECTRICITY REVIEW JAPAN 2015" (PDF). The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b Fairley, Peter (18 March 2015). "A Pumped Hydro Energy-Storage Renaissance". IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  5. ^ Johnston, Eric, "Small hydropower plants keep it local", Japan Times, 29 September 2011, p. 3.
  6. ^ a b c "Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Plants in Japan - Industcards". Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  7. ^ Major Power Plants in Japan
  8. ^ Yanbaru Archived 2007-08-04 at the Wayback Machine