Imaichi Pumped Storage Power Station
The Imaichi Pumped Storage Power Station (Japanese: 今市発電所, Hepburn: Imaichi Hatsudensho) is a large pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. With a total installed capacity of 1,050 megawatts (1,410,000 hp), it is one of the largest pumped-storage power stations in Japan.[3] The facility is run by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).[3] The power plant started operation in July 1988 with a capacity of 350 MW (one unit operational). The other two units entered operation in December 1991.[4] The plant is one of the many large scale pure pumped-storage plants built in Japan since the 1970s to compensate for the increased penetration of base-load nuclear power and peak load from cooling and air-conditioning.[5]
| Imaichi Pumped Storage Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Imaichi Dam lower reservoir | |
| Country | Japan |
| Location | Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36.831927°N 139.667754°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1979[1] |
| Opening date | 1988[1] |
| Operator(s) | TEPCO |
| Upper reservoir | |
| Creates | Kuriyama |
| Lower reservoir | |
| Creates | Imaichi |
| Power Station | |
| Hydraulic head | 524 m (1,719 ft)[2] |
| Pump-generators | 3 x 350 MW reversible Francis turbines[2] |
| Installed capacity | 1,050 MW (1,410,000 hp)[1] |
| Storage capacity | 7,350 MW·h |
Like most pumped-storage facilities, the power station uses two reservoirs, releasing and pumping as the demand rises and falls. The upper reservoir is contained by the Imaichi Dam, a concrete gravity dam, at an altitude of 512 m. The reservoir is fed by the Togawa river.[4] The lower reservoir is contained by the Kuriyama Dam, a rock-fill embankment dam at an altitude of 1054 m.[4] The reservoirs can store 9,100,000 cubic metres (7,400 acre⋅ft) of water. Of that storage volume, 6,200,000 cubic metres (5,000 acre⋅ft) can be used for power generation. This is enough for about 7 hours of operation at full generation capacity,[1] giving a total energy storage capacity of about 7.35 GWh.
The power plant is housed in a large cavern 400 m underground and includes three 350 MW Francis reversible pump-turbines. The cavern dimensions are 33.5 m width, 51 m height, and 160 m length.[6] The power station work on a daily or weekly storage cycle.[4] The plant is connected to the high voltage transmission system with a 500 kV power line. These power lines constituted the world's first practical applications of 500 kV XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) cables, together with the power connection at the Shimogo Pumped Storage Power Station.[7]
See also
Notes
- "DOE Global Energy Storage Database". www.energystorageexchange.org. DOE. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Imaichi Pumped Storage Power Plant Japan - GEO". globalenergyobservatory.org. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Principal Hydroelectric Power Plants - The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan(FEPC)". www.fepc.or.jp. The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "水力発電所ギャラリー 東京電力今市発電所 - 水力ドットコム". www.suiryoku.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Key Issues: 11- Benefits due to Power Generation" (PDF). IEA Hydropower Implementing Agreement Annex VIII - Hydropower Good Practices: Environmental Mitigation Measures and Benefits Case Study 11-02: Benefits Due to Power Generation – Large Scale Pumped Storage Power Plants, Japan. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- T., Mizukoshi (1 January 1982). "The Design And Construction Of The Imaichi Underground Power Plant". Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- Ogawa, K.; Kosugi, T.; Kato, N.; Kawawata, Y. (1989). "The world's first use of 500 kV XLPE insulated aluminium sheathed power cables at the Shimogo and Imaichi power stations". IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery. 5 (1): 26–32. doi:10.1109/61.107251.