Osaka City to Use Hydropower at Water Distribution Plant

The Osaka Municipal Waterworks Bureau will install a hydropower system at the Nagai water distribution plant, to be completed in March 2004. Targeting energy conservation and cost-saving, this system is expected to generate about 20 percent of the electricity consumed annually at the plant. Construction will start around October 2003, aiming for operation next fall.

Water distribution plants store water that has been purified at water purification plants before it is delivered to households. Located below an underground parking lot at Nagai Park, the Nagai plant, now under construction, will lie deeper in the ground than most plants. Thus, the system will utilize the gravity of the falling water, as well as the pressure in the distributing pipes, in order to generate electricity. This system will generate about 1.8 million kilowatt-hours annually, reducing electric power costs by approximately 20 million yen (about US$170,000). The Waterworks Bureau expects to recover the initial cost of installation in about eight years.

Since Osaka is relatively flat, electricity is usually needed to pressurize water for distribution, so the Waterworks Bureau has been considering various methods to conserve energy and reduce costs. For example, a solar power system has already been installed at the Kunijima purification plant. The Waterworks Bureau will continue to promote natural energy systems for water purification and distribution.



Posted: 2003/06/09 10:14:33 AM
Japanese version