Japanese investments in battery storage projects continue to accelerate, as the government gears up efforts to expand intermittent renewable power sources to meet its net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goal by 2050.
Japanese battery producer Power X and domestic renewable power developer West Holdings will jointly launch battery storage systems and solar power generation facilities across the country, they said on 2 August. The companies plan to install up to 200MWh of storage capacity and 30MW of solar output capacity by the spring of 2025.
Storage battery units developed by Power X will be connected to power grid networks, to trade electricity through the country's wholesale power market. Solar output generated by West Holdings will be directly supplied to Power X then distributed to Power X's customers, which are mainly in the industrial and commercial sectors, and for internal use.
The deal came a day after a group of Japanese firms — including renewable power developer Renova, refiner Idemitsu, chemical trader Nagase and financing firm SMFL Mirai Partners — said on 1 August that it has set up a joint venture firm Himeji Energy Storage Facility to launch a battery storage facility in Himeji city in west Japan's Hyogo prefecture. The project has secured a government subsidy of around ¥1.6bn ($11.2mn).
The joint venture plans to build a 15MW, or 48MWh, system at the site where Idemitsu previously operated its Hyogo refinery until 2003, using lithium-ion batteries provided by Japanese battery producer GS Yuasa. The construction is scheduled to begin this month, targeting for commissioning in October 2025.
Storage batteries will be a necessary back-up power source to stabilise power grids in Japan as the country seeks to expand its use of renewables, which depends on the weather and the time of day. Tokyo plans to boost the share of renewables in the national power mix to 36-38pc by 2030-31, in line with the country's target to cut its GHG emissions by 46pc by 2030-31 against 2013-14 levels. The renewable goal is double the actual share of 18pc in 2019-20.
Japan's trade and industry ministry is looking to secure battery materials by 2030 to boost domestic lithium-ion battery production — including those used for electric vehicles, stationary storage batteries and exports — to 150 GWh/yr in 2030.
