Toyama Prefecture to Construct Micro-Hydropower Plant on an Irrigation Canal

On January 4, 2008, Toyama Prefecture in Japan announced its decision to construct a micro-hydroelectric power plant on an irrigation canal at Higashi-omori in Tateyamacho, Toyama Prefecture. The prefecture expects the plant to help improve its energy security and also curb global warming. This is the second case in Japan of a power plant operated by a prefectural government on an irrigation canal.

The plant, tentatively named the Niemon Canal Power Plant, is being built on Niemon Canal, which conducts water to fields from the Joganji River. Construction was started in April 2008 and operation is expected to start in December 2009. The height difference is 24.46 meters and the total length of pipes in the facility will be 1,400 meters; water will be flowing at a maximum rate of 2.4 cubic meters per second. Thus, the plant will have a maximum output capacity of 460 kW and supply 3.5 million kWh of electricity annually. By producing electricity with this micro-hydropower generation, an amount of carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 2,600 tons will be cut per year.

The cost for the project is estimated at 875 million yen (about U.S.$8.84 million), of which 400 million yen (about U.S.$4.04 million) will be subsidized by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development (NEDO). Toyama Pref. will be endeavoring to find more places for micro-hydropower plants using small rivers or irrigation canals.


- Irrigation Channel Power Generation Test Starts (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/692-e
- Green Power Satisfies Household Electricity Demand in 76 Japanese Municipalities (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1899-e

Posted: 2008/05/23 07:03:20 AM