Kyushu Electric Power resumed commercial operation of its Jikumaru Power Station in Bungo-Ono City, Oita Prefecture, on June 18, 2026, following refurbishment works, the company announced on the same day.
According to the statement, the power plant was shut down in May 2021 and underwent turbine, generator, and penstock replacement, as well as water conduit reinforcement. Its capacity increased from 12.5MW to 13.6MW. Annual generation of the repowered asset is expected to reach about 73GWh, up from 70GWh.
METI data shows the project was certified under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) scheme in FY2020, when hydropower plants larger than 5MW but smaller than 30MW were eligible for 20-year, 20-yen-per-kWh contracts.
The repowering project was, among other sources, funded using proceeds from 10 billion yen in green bonds issued by the utility in mid-2023.
Jikumaru Power Station was originally commissioned in 1920. Its refurbishment follows that of the 1.7MW Machida No. 1 Power Plant, also in Oita Prefecture. With its portfolio of 139 hydropower plants totaling 3.6GW aging, the utility is also in the process of repowering further assets, including four scheduled to be restarted in 2028 and one in 2029.
