Strategic Siting of Hydroelectric Power Plants to Power Railway Operations with Renewable Energy

Masahiko Nakai, Taku Masumoto () and Takashi Asaeda
Additional contact information
Masahiko Nakai: Japan International Consultants for Transportation Co., Ltd., Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
Taku Masumoto: Energy Planning Department, East Japan Railway Company, Tokyo 151-8578, Japan
Takashi Asaeda: Institute for Environmental Science, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: The present study explores the strategic siting of hydroelectric power plants, focusing on the Miyanaka Intake Dam (MID) and Shinano River Hydroelectric Power Station (SHP). Built in 1939 to support Tokyo’s railway electrification, these facilities demonstrate the complexities of balancing renewable energy production with ecological conservation. Despite the high costs and energy losses associated with transmitting power from the Sea of Japan side, the SHP has effectively powered Tokyo’s rail system for over 80 years, owing to advanced transmission technologies and the region’s abundant water resources. However, river-crossing structures such as dams disrupt fish migration and habitats, necessitating the implementation of fishways. The MID fishway, continually improved since its construction, emphasizes the importance of integrating ecological considerations into hydropower projects. Our findings highlight the higher power generation efficiency on the Sea of Japan side and stress the need for careful site selection to ensure sustainable hydroelectric power while preserving river ecosystems. In conclusion, hydropower sites should be chosen based on both environmental impacts and future development potential to maintain the ecological balance and support long-term renewable energy goals.

Keywords: effective location; power generation efficiency; power transmission technology; water rights; fishway (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7086/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7086/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:7086-:d:1458799

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().