Special Feature

1

Renewable Energies
Contributing to society withsolution products and systems
Furukawa Electric Group’s efforts

Kegon Falls, Nikko

plant constructed at Nikko in 1906, theelectric power of which was used in theNikko Copper Electrolyzing Refinery which
conducted the electrorefining of copper,
and others. Our group has also used its
accumulated technology to create
problem-solving products and systems.
Examples include power storage systems
to control fluctuations in power output,
and power cables that resist evenundersea tidal currents.
Recently, in collaboration with theRailway Technical Research Institute andothers, Furukawa Electric is participatingin the world’s largest superconducting
flywheel energy storage system projectby supplying our superconducting wirerods. This system is showing promise asa lossless storage battery, rotating ahuge flywheel to store electric power as
kinetic energy and converting the torqueback into electric power as required.

Renewable energies such ashydropower, wind power and solar power
have attracted more attention since the2011 Great East Japan Earthquake asclean, non-depletable energies to replacefossil fuels.
The Japanese government is trying toincrease the proportion of power
generated by renewable energies fromthe present 10% or so to equal to or
more than 20% by 2030. There havebeen previous attempts to increase thisrate, such as by introducing the Act on
Special Measures Concerning
Procurement of Electricity from Renewable
Energy Sources by Electricity Utilities(RPS Act) and the Feed-in Tariff system,
but they have faced big problems suchas unstable power output and highinstallation costs.
The history of Furukawa ElectricGroup’s use of renewable energies can betraced all the way back to the hydropowerFurukawa Nikko Power Generation Inc. providing 100% of Nikko Works’ energy
Ichibei Furukawa, founder of the Furukawa Group,
began to develop the Ashio Copper Mine in 1877. As thecopper mine expanded rapidly, he needed an abundant
water supply to meet the electrical demands of the Nikko
Copper Electrolyzing Refinery, and in 1906 constructed
the Hosoo Power Plant No.1 (2,000 kW) in Hosoo-machi,
Nikko, the origin of the present-day Furukawa Nikko
Power Generation Inc. That company has four power
plants downstream of Kegon Falls flowing from LakeChuzenji, namely, Umamichi, Setoyama, Hosoo, andKaminoshiro, generating a total output of 29,890 kW.
Hydropower has long contributed to the regionalcommunity as a clean energy source that emits no carbon
dioxide, and currently meets 100% of the power demandat our Nikko Works as well as supplying power to ouraffiliates, Furukawa Co., Ltd., Ashio Power Plant, andTEPCO.
Of all the renewable energies that show promise for thefuture, hydropower delivers the most stable power supply.
Amid the various challenges facing Japan’s energy policy,Furukawa Nikko Power Generation Inc. will continue tosupply clean, stable power.

8FURUKAWA ELECTRIC GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2015

Mount Nantai
Chuzenji Dam

Lake
ChuzenjiHakuun Falls
Irohazaka
1 routeHodo Falls
Hannya Falls

Kegon Falls

UmamichiPower Plant
Irohazaka 2 route

Setoyama
Power Plant

Hosoo Power Plant

Daiya River

Hosoo Reservoir

Furukawa Nikko Power Generation,
Hosoo Power Plant

Furukawa Electric,
Nikko Works

Furukawa Precision
Engineering

Furukawa Precision
Engineering,
Kiyotaki Plant

To Nikko
Kaminoshiro
Reservoir

Kaminoshiro
Sedimentation BasinUACJNikko Works

Kaminoshiro TunnelKaminoshiro
Tank

Kaminoshiro
Power Plant

Fukushima floating offshore wind power station, contributing to earthquake restoration
Furukawa Electric is participating in “Fukushima Experimental
Offshore Floating Wind Farm Project”, one of the region’s restoration
projects, having endorsed Fukushima Prefecture’s proposal to “be apioneering place for renewal energies”. Utilizing offshore energy isvital for a country surrounded by water like Japan, and in thisexperimental study we have established a business model for a
floating offshore wind power station, which we hope will help tomake full-scale floating offshore wind farms a reality.
In this experimental study, we have built and verified a powertransmission system that securely delivers control signals andpower output from a floating offshore wind power station along
submarine cables. The floating offshore wind power turbines
oscillate due to the force of the waves and tide and, in this harshenvironment, the submarine cables also need to be able to move
dynamically in response. By bringing all Furukawa Electric’s
accumulated cable technologies to bear, we have developed theworld’s first 66kV ultra-high voltage riser cable system. As theexperimental study project enters its second phase of construction,
we have delivered the special high-voltage riser cable manufactured
at our Chiba Works. Operation of the third generation facility is due
to begin in fiscal 2015.

Offshorewind turbine
Landing point

Marine substation

Intermediarybuoy

Submarine cables

Riser cable

Floating wind tower

Cable laying diagram

V2B power storage system, resolving unstable power output
Ever since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake,
electric power generation and transmission systems
that remain strong and self-sustaining even during alarge-scale disaster have been examined nationwide.
In an industry-academic-government collaboration
with the University of Tokyo and others, Furukawa
Electric is part of an innovation model creation projectto accelerate the sustainable development of disasteraffected under-populated areas, and in March 2015
conducted a demonstration test of our V2B (Vehicle toBuilding) power storage system in the devastated townof Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture.
We installed a power storage system at Otsuchi
Community Place and supplied it with electricity fromsolar panels and electric cars, and conducted ademonstration test assuming a 72-hour power outage.
We s i m u l a t e d t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f u s i n g a T V,
smartphone, etc. to be able to get accurate up-to-date
information, using LED lights and oil heaters to ensure
safety and security, and using monitors and computersat town meetings to help people in the community.

V2B system
visualization
screenSolar panels

Features of V2B power storage system – Self-sustained operation mode
V2B power storage system
Furukawa Electric

Solar power generation & charging
Simulated power
outageEV stand

Otsuchi Community Place

EV carStorage batteries used on rainy days or at nightV2B power storagesystem (with built-instorage battery)Can supply electricity day and night!

Get
accurate
information

Successful
demonstration test

Obtaining information from radio announcements(emergency power sockets)
Ensuresafety &security

Otsuchi Community Place and V2B power storage system

Using home appliances(emergency power sockets)

Help thecommunity

Town meeting during rain(storage battery)

Understandhow much solar
generated powerand storage battery
power is left

FURUKAWA ELECTRIC GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 20159