The project includes four hydro power plants with a total capacity of 21MW, located in Tottori Prefecture in Japan
Marubeni’s subsidiary to replace and operate hydro power plants in Japan. (Credit: Pixabay/summa)
Japanese conglomerate Marubeni announced that its subsidiary Mibugawa Electric Power along with a consortium of Chubu Electric Power, Chubu, and Miho Technos, has secured a contract to replace and operate hydro power plants totaling nearly 21MW in Tottori Prefecture.
The consortium has formed a special purpose company (SPC) which is expected to begin operations from this September.
The project has four hydro power plants which include Tsukuyone power plant, Oshika 1st power plant, Oshika 2nd power plant and Hinogawa 1st power plant that are currently being operated by Tottori Prefecture.
Tsukuyone is a 7.89MW power plant, which is expected to begin commercial operations this year.
Oshika 1st power plant with a capacity of 3.7MW is expected to begin operations in 2024.
Oshika 2nd power plant with 4.99MW capacity is expected to start operations in 2023, followed by Hinogawa plant with 4.3MW capacity could begin operations in 2024.
As per the contract, the operation of the four dam-conduit system will be transferred from the Prefecture to the SPC for a period of 20 years.
The SPC will replace Oshika 1st power plant, Oshika 2nd power plant and Hinogawa 1st power plant as per the feed-in-tariff law.
Power from the hydro power projects will be sold to Chugoku Electric Power for 20 years
The power generated from these projects will be purchased by Chugoku Electric Power Transmission & Distribution company for a period of 20 years. The genererated power is enough to be supplied to nearly 28,000 Japanese households.
Since 1962, Marubeni’s Mibugawa has been managing hydro power businesses.
The business now operates nine power plants in Nagano prefecture, three in Yamanashi prefecture, three in Fukushima prefecture, three in Hiroshima prefecture, two in Shizuoka prefecture and one in Miyagi prefecture.