Press Release Back Number(2007)

Directive Received Concerning Hydropower Station Cooling Water, Etc.

March 28, 2007
Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.

On March 14, 2007, Chubu Electric submitted a survey report to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in response to the Ministry's directive entitled "Request for Report on Hydroelectric Power Facilities" received on February 15, 2007.
(See press release dated March 14.)


The report submitted by Chubu Electric indicated that the Company had withdrawn water from rivers and water channels to use as power station cooling water and miscellaneous-use water. Today, however, the Company received the following instructions from the Chubu regional office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.


  1. 1. The 10 power stations in violation of River Law Article 23, Paragraph 1 of Article 26 and Paragraph 1 of Article 55 (i.e. power stations directly withdrawing miscellaneous-use water from rivers) shall immediately cease usage of these flows and the structures involved, except where absolutely necessary (for example, fire hydrants).
  2. 2. The 18 power stations in violation of River Law Article 23 (i.e. power stations withdrawing excessive water) shall reduce their peak withdrawal or peak water usage by 10% in order to prevent excessive water withdrawals.

In response to these instructions, the 10 power stations that had been directly withdrawing water from rivers have voluntarily ceased withdrawing miscellaneous-use water as of March 13.

Further, the 18 power stations that had been withdrawing excessive water will immediately take measures to restrict withdrawals.


In addition, an audit by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, performed after submission of the survey report, found that there were four more power stations in violation of River Law Article 23 or conditions for authorization based on the same article (i.e. in relation to withdrawals for power station cooling water and miscellaneous-use water).


< Power stations newly discovered to be in violation >

Samigawa Power Station (Gifu Prefecture), Takeharagawa Power Station (Gifu Prefecture), Yasuoka Power Station (Nagano Prefecture), Tomoegawa Power Station (Aichi Prefecture)


Chubu Electric will continue to respond appropriately to this situation, faithfully executing the instructions of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and other river administrators.