On March 18, 2025, Kyushu Electric Power finished repowering and returned the 1.7MW Machida No. 1 Power Plant in Kokonoe Town, Oita Prefecture, into commercial operation.
According to a statement issued on the same day, the repowering process started in January 2024 and involved turbine and generator replacements among other work. While the power plant’s rated capacity, at 1.7MW, remains the same as before the upgrades, its expected annual generation increased slightly from 11.2GWh to 11.3GWh.
Like several other hydroelectric power plants owned by Kyushu EPCO, Machida No. 1 Power Plant had been in operation for over 100 years, since 1922, before repowering.
Kyushu EPCO is repowering multiple other hydro plants as well. Most recently, it began work on four assets between January and February 2025: the 8MW Shinohara Power Plant in Oita Prefecture, the 7.5MW Shinsugebaru Power Plant and the 6.4MW Kuwanouchi Power Plant in Miyazaki Prefecture, and the 7.3MW Ogawa Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture. All four projects are scheduled for completion in 2028.
In total, Kyushu EPCO’s hydro portfolio includes 138 power plants with a combined capacity of 3.6GW.
