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]
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 | Operational | pumped storage |
Amagase Dam | 92 | Kyoto | 34°52′51″N 135°49′41″E / 34.88083°N 135.82806°E | Operational | conventional |
Arimine Dam | 534 | Toyama | 36°29′22″N 137°26′55″E / 36.48944°N 137.44861°E | Operational | conventional |
Dashidaira Dam | 124 | Operational | |||
Funagira Dam | 32 | Shizuoka | 34°53′26″N 137°48′54″E / 34.89056°N 137.81500°E | Operational | |
Hatanagi-I Hydroelectric Dam | 137 | Shizuoka | 35°19′17″N 138°10′59″E / 35.32139°N 138.18306°E | Operational | pumped storage |
Hatanagi-II Hydroelectric Dam | 85 | Shizuoka | 35°18′29″N 138°12′11″E / 35.30806°N 138.20306°E | 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 | 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 | 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 | Operational | pumped storage |
Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Plant | 1,200 | Yamanashi | 35°43′07″N 138°55′47″E / 35.71861°N 138.92972°E | 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 | 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 | Operational | |
Kuroda Dam | 315 | Aichi | 35°11′14″N 137°28′34″E / 35.18722°N 137.47611°E | Operational | |
Maruyama Dam | 185 | Gifu | 35°28′08″N 137°10′20″E / 35.46889°N 137.17222°E | Operational | |
Matsubara Dam | 50.6 | Oita | 33°11′39″N 130°59′38″E / 33.19417°N 130.99389°E | ||
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 | Operational | pumped storage |
Miboro Dam | 215 | Gifu | 36°08′17.7″N 136°54′38.9″E / 36.138250°N 136.910806°E | 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 | Operational | |
Misakubo Dam | 50 | Shizuoka | 35°11′05″N 137°55′54″E / 35.18472°N 137.93167°E | Operational | |
Miyagase Dam | 24 | Kanagawa | 35°32′26″N 139°15′09″E / 35.54056°N 139.25250°E | 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 | Operational | pumped storage |
Ōigawa Dam | 68.2 | Shizuoka | 35°09′53″N 138°08′34″E / 35.16472°N 138.14278°E | 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 | Operational | pumped storage |
Okutadami Dam | 560 | Niigata/Fukushima | 37°09′12″N 139°15′00″E / 37.15333°N 139.25000°E | Operational | conventional |
Okutataragi Pumped Storage Plant | 1,932 | Hyōgo | 35°14′12″N 134°51′23″E / 35.23667°N 134.85639°E | Operational | pumped storage |
Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Plant | 1,206 | Nara | 34°7′4″N 135°49′16″E / 34.11778°N 135.82111°E | Operational | pumped storage |
Otori Dam | 182 | Fukushima | 37°12′53″N 139°12′50″E / 37.21472°N 139.21389°E | Operational | |
Sagami Dam | 31 | Kanagawa; | 35°36′56″N 139°11′43″E / 35.61556°N 139.19528°E | Operational | |
Sakuma Dam | 350 | Aichi | 35°05′58″N 137°47′39″E / 35.09944°N 137.79417°E | Operational | conventional |
Sasamagawa Dam | 58 | Shizuoka | 34°58′17″N 138°05′38″E / 34.97139°N 138.09389°E | Operational | |
Senzu Dam | 22.2 | Shizuoka | 35°13′00″N 138°05′25″E / 35.21667°N 138.09028°E | 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 | 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 | 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 | Operational | |
Shiroyama Dam | 275 | Kanagawa | 35°35′09″N 139°17′22″E / 35.58583°N 139.28944°E | Operational | |
Tagokura Dam | 390 | Fukushima | 37°18′38″N 139°17′13″E / 37.31056°N 139.28694°E | 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 | Operational | |
Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station | 1,200 | Gunma | 36°46′56″N 139°03′23″E / 36.78222°N 139.05639°E | Operational | pumped storage |
Tashiro Dam | 40.1 | Shizuoka | 35°29′55″N 138°14′47″E / 35.49861°N 138.24639°E | Operational | |
Tedorigawa I Dam | 250 | Operational | |||
Tokuyama Dam | 153 | Gifu | 35°39′55″N 136°30′08″E / 35.66528°N 136.50222°E | Operational | |
Okuyahagi Pumped Storage Power Station | 1,160 | Gifu | 35°11′59″N 137°27′31″E / 35.19972°N 137.45861°E | Operational | pumped storage |
Yagisawa Pumped Storage Plant | 240 | Operational | pumped storage | ||
Yomihaki Power Station | 112 | Operational |