Construction of a mega solar power plant on the Karatsu Nagoya Incline Shaft site will soon be completed, with power generation to begin next month.
It has been decided to use solar power generation at the Nagoya Incline Shaft site in Karatsu, and construction work on installing solar panels, which has been underway since spring, will soon be completed. Utilizing vacant land, it is planned to generate 1.5 megawatts of electricity, which is expected to contribute financially to the maintenance and upkeep of the tunnel facilities.
Tree cutting on the site began on April 9th, and now that ground leveling and panel assembly are complete, the project is nearing completion. The final steps are underway, including the installation of wire mesh to protect the panels and wiring by the power company, in preparation for power generation starting next month. We will report on the completion of the facility in the next issue.
View of the observation deck above the mine entrance from the helicopter landing pad. Ground leveling is progressing. June 14th
Above the tunnel entrance is a small hill that serves as an observation deck, offering a panoramic view of the Nagoya Castle ruins, Yobuko Port, the Genkai Sea, and Iki Island. This hill is one of the camp sites from "Hideyoshi's Korean Invasion" 400 years ago, and is a designated cultural asset, so the flat land and gentle slopes outside of that have been utilised. As the area is prone to receiving sunlight for long periods of time, construction workers say that "it's a suitable location with a blessed environment for generating electricity." Furthermore, although the Nagoya Inclined Shaft heads towards Kabeshima Island, which floats off the coast of Yobuko, solar panels will also be lined up on the surface of the tunnel.
Kyushu has been actively involved in solar power generation projects, with more applicants than the government had anticipated, and with power companies refusing to buy the plants, the future was temporarily uncertain, delaying the start of construction. Japan's economic development is a "castle on oil," but to the west of the inclined shaft lies the now-shutdown Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, which makes us reconsider our country's energy situation. Nuclear energy is also considered essential for human space travel, and we have high hopes for Japan's technological capabilities.
The panel base was installed halfway up the site on August 5th.
The solar panels have been installed and work is underway to turn on the electricity. October 7th
