After surveying its 12 existing dams for potential hydroelectric capabilities, Fukuoka Prefecture has determined that four dams could be used to generate power profitably and has formulated a plan aimed at their practical application. The four dams are the Zuibaiji Dam (Itoshima), Fujinami Dam (Ukiha), Rikimaru Dam (Miyawaka) and the Jinya Dam (Soeda). The Prefecture’s decision was based on the estimated total revenue from 20 years of hydroelectric power generation calculated from 10 years of past data for outflow volume and reservoir levels. The estimated cost of the project is ¥180~340 million. The prefecture will discuss this plan with the municipalities that invested in the dams to determine project feasibility and implementation frameworks, and it hopes to begin generating power as early as FY2015. According to the Prefecture, the retrofitted dams could generate 420 kW of electricity, or enough power for 700 households, annually. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Aug. 15
