News Release

- Contributing to grid stability through operation responsive to supply-demand balance -

Kawasaki, Japan —Toshiba Corporation has been selected by Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. to provide an adjustable-speed pumped-storage hydropower system for Unit 3 of Kyogoku Power Plant, a pumped-storage power plant in western Hokkaido. The order covers a 200 MW pump-turbine, generator-motor, and related equipment, and the installation will be completed in readiness for Unit 3’s start of commercial operation in fiscal year 2031.

As Hokkaido continues to attract new semiconductor manufacturing facilities and data centers, electricity demand in the region is expected to grow steadily. While expanded use of renewables, such as solar and wind power, will help to meet consumption growth, there is an increasing need for grid-balancing capabilities to manage supply and demand. Pumped-storage power generation provides a powerful balancing solution.

Pumped-storage plants share a basic design: an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir, with power generation equipment between the two. The flow of water from the upper reservoir is used to generate electricity. During times of low demand, water is pumped from the lower to upper reservoir, and it is released when demand rises to generate power. Kyogoku Power Plant is a pure pumped-storage power plant featuring a closed-loop configuration, with no natural inflow into the upper reservoir.

Compared with conventional pumped-storage power generation, adjustable-speed pumped-storage hydropower generation offers greater operational flexibility by allowing operators to vary the rotational speed of the pump-turbine and generator-motor. The technology was developed and first commercialized by Toshiba in 1990, and its advantages of input adjustment during pumping^*1 and wide output adjustment during power generation^*2 have led to projects being developed and planned both in Japan and overseas.

Kyogoku Unit 1 which started operation in 2014, and Unit 2 which followed in 2015 also have adjustable-speed pumped-storage hydropower systems, all supplied by Toshiba. The company’s familiarity with the plant, in addition, its technological capabilities and extensive experience, were all factors in its selection to provide the equipment for Unit 3. With the Kyogoku Unit 3 project, Toshiba will contribute to enhanced grid efficiency and stability, and the broader integration of renewables into the power mix through operations that allow a flexible response to changes in demand.

By harnessing the energy of flowing water, hydropower delivers clean, environmentally friendly, stable power supply. It is the oldest of Toshiba’s energy business: in 1894, the company manufactured a 60 kW hydro-generator for Keage Power Plant, Japan's first commercial hydropower plant. Since then, the company has supplied more than 2,700 hydropower systems worldwide, with a combined capacity of more than 68,700 MW. It is also known for its innovations, including the adjustable-speed pumped-storage hydropower system.

Drawing on its cumulative capabilities in the hydropower sector, Toshiba will continue to refine and expand its lineup of turbines and generators for a wide range of flow rates, heads, and output capacities, and will contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society through the delivery of high-quality products for the global market.

Notes
*1 Input: Electricity received from the power grid to pump water during pumping operation.
*2 Output: Electricity generated by releasing water during generating operation and supplied to the power grid.

Photos courtesy of Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.

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