On June 12, 2020, Hokuriku Electric Power (Rikuden, Headquarters: Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture) and JFE Engineering, an engineering company headquartered in Tokyo, announced that they had jointly developed an optimal operating system for dams using AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology, which will help increase hydroelectricity power plants’ generation. The system mainly utilizes the WinmuSe, an AI-based water inflow forecasting application developed by JFE Engineering.

The two companies have jointly demonstrated WinmuSe at Rikuden’s Asaida Dam, located in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, since FY 2017. Its forecasting function was successfully improved through advanced analysis of large amounts of data related to Asaida Dam’s amount of rainfall and water inflow in past years. The results of the demonstration project showed excellent performance, with a high level of accuracy in forecasting water inflow. The project also confirmed that the system could be expected to increase the generation of hydroelectricity power plants by approximately 5 GWh per year.

Based on the results, Rikuden and JFE Engineering plan to apply the AI-based optimal operating system to other dams in the entire Jinzu River Water System, aiming to maximize their power generation.[1]

[1] http://www.rikuden.co.jp/press/attach/20061201.pdf