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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 [ edit ]
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
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