Mitsubishi Corporation

Press Room

June 10, 2022
NTT Anode Energy Corporation
Kyushu Electric Power Company, Inc.
Mitsubishi Corporation

Launch of Joint Project to effectively utilize solar power by grid-scale battery storage

NTT Anode Energy Corporation (NTTAE), Kyushu Electric Power Company, Inc. (Kyuden), and Mitsubishi Corporation(MC) are pleased to announce that we have agreed into launching a joint project to contribute to restricting solar power curtailment*1 by grid-scale battery storage, which leads to effective usage of renewable energy.
 
Japanese Government has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% in 2030 (compared to that in 2013). To achieve the goal, the Government is promoting  renewable energy as the main power source. However, the day when the amount of total power supply including renewable energy is expected to exceed demand, renewable energy curtailment has been carried out in Japan to match between power supply and demand. By spring 2022, solar power curtailment has been carried out in Kyushu region, where solar power spreads even earlier in Japan. Furthermore, solar power curtailment has been carried out in several regions other than Kyushu, such as Shikoku, Chugoku and Tohoku area in Japan.
 
In March 2022, the first "Power Crunch Alert" in Japan was announced, since electricity demand was expected to exceed supply in some regions. Under these unstable circumstances, effective utilization of excessive electricity should be one of the essential ways to secure stable power supply.
 
Considering the situation, we have agreed into collaboration to establish a business model to utilize grid-scale battery storage for restriction of solar power curtailment and trading electricity in various electricity markets. This initiative should accelerate de-carbonization through the effective use of excessive power and stabilize power supply. As the first step, we will start practically to use grid-scale battery storage installed by NTTAE*2.
 
The NTT Group is accelerating its group-wide decarbonization efforts based on our new environment and energy vision "NTT Green Innovation toward 2040".  NTT Anode Energy, as a core company for promoting the NTT Group's smart energy business, will develop a smart energy business centered on renewable energy in order to achieve carbon neutrality to society and to promote local generation for local consumption of energy.
 
Under Kyuden Group Carbon Neutral Vision 2050 formulated in April 2021 and Kyuden Group Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality formulated in November 2021, Kyushu Electric Power has endeavored to lead the way to Japan's decarbonization from Kyushu by continuing to "lower the carbon intensity of or decarbonize energy sources" and "accelerate the shift toward electricity-based energy consumption ". As the electric company located in the area with much more renewable energies than others, we will strive to make maximum use of electric power derived from renewables using grid-connected battery.
 
In Midterm Corporate Strategy 2024, announced in May 2022, MC is promoting EX (Energy Transformation) and DX (Digital Transformation) in an integrated manner and has identified the utilization of local energy resources to provide value to the community. As part of this plan, we are promoting the manufacture and sale of industrial lithium-ion storage batteries and their use in the energy field to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society.
 
Our collaboration leads to effective usage of renewable energy toward carbon-neutral society.
 
【Information on the grid-scale battery storage installed by NTTAE】
Owner
NTTAE
Date
Feb. 2023 (Planed)
Location
Fukuoka, Japan (Planned)
Equipment
Lithium-ion battery(4.2MWh)
Power Conditioner(1.4MW)
ICT System
※All of the above are made in Japan
 
*1: Solar Power curtailment: When there is surplus of power supply, power supply including solar power is  required to restrict in order to match between power supply and demand.
 
*2: NTTAE will install batteries with a grant from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy for the "Project to Support the Introduction of Grid Storage Batteries, etc. to Accelerate the Introduction of Renewable Energy," a supplementary budget in 2021.
 
 

 
Materiality
 
Based on the Three Corporate Principles, which serve as MC’s core philosophy, MC has continued to grow together with society by contributing to the sustainable development of society through its business activities while pursuing value creation. MC’s revised “Materiality” was announced in Midterm Corporate Strategy 2024 as a set of crucial societal issues that MC will prioritize through its business activities, towards the strategy’s goal of continuous creation of MC Shared Value (MCSV). Guided by this Materiality, MC will continue to strengthen its efforts towards sustainable corporate growth. Out of the six material issues relating to “Realizing a Carbon Neutral Society and Striving to Enrich Society Both Materially and Spiritually”, this project’s activities particularly support “Contributing to Decarbonized Societies” and “Utilizing Innovation to Address Societal Needs”.

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