Japan’s Jera steps into storage battery sector

Japan’s largest thermal power operator Jera is stepping into the storage battery sector, aiming to ensure stable supplies amid rising use of unstable renewable power sources and further expand its renewable energy output.

Jera announced yesterday that it has started a demonstration project to analyse the use of storage batteries owned by domestic companies. The utility then plans to offer consumers optimal use of renewable energy sources based on data from the project. The demonstration period is planned for four months.

Renewable energy supplies, such as solar and wind power, are unstable. I think the technology development of storage batteries will support the expansion of renewable energy, said Jera’s president Satoshi Onoda.

Jera has also started a storage battery project with Japan’s biggest carmaker Toyota. The two firms are working on technology development of a power storage system that employs used in-vehicle storage batteries.

Japanese companies are accelerating developments in technology and new businesses related to renewable energy to help achieve the country’s target of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Jera also has plans to phase out coal-fired power units with inefficient technology, use CO2-free ammonia as a power generation fuel instead of coal, build offshore wind power projects in Hokkaido and Akita prefectures and produce hydrogen from city gas to help achieve Japan’s 2050 goal.

Source : argusmedia