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

The Ueno Dam, lower reservoir of the pumped-storage Kannagawa Hydropower Plant

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	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	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	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	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

References

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

[1] ttps://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.

[fepc2015-3] "ELECTRICITY REVIEW JAPAN 2015" (PDF). The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan. Retrieved 15 July 2017.

[ieee2015-4] 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.

[indjpn-6] "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

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List of hydroelectric power stations

See also

References