7 February 2014
Details
Sumitomo Corporation
(Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo;
President and CEO: Kuniharu Nakamura)
has developed and installed
the world’s first large-scale power storage system
which utilizes used batteries collected
from electric vehicles (hereinafter : EV).
This commercial scale storage system,
built on Yume-shima Island, Osaka,
will begin operating in February 2014.
Over the next three years, the system will measure
the smoothing effect of energy output fluctuation
from the nearby “Hikari-no-mori,” solar farm,
and will aim to establish
a large-scale power storage technology
by safely and effectively utilizing
the huge quantities of discarded used EV batteries
which will become available in the future.
This project has been selected as a model project for
"Verification of the battery storage control
to promote renewable energy"
for the fiscal year 2013
by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan.
Sumitomo Corporation
created the joint venture company,
“4R Energy Corporation”,
in collaboration with
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
in September 2010, to address
the secondary use of EV lithium-ion batteries.
The used EV batteries that will be recycled into
this large-scale storage system have been recovered and
have gone through thorough inspection and
maintenance at 4R, to confirm safety and performance.
This prototype system (600kW/400kWh)
consists of sixteen used EV batteries.
Battery Business Development Department General Manager,
Norihiko Nonaka said
“We are pleased to be a part of such
an important verification project that
can both utilize used EV batteries,
and provide a large-scale power storage facility,
which are important issues that
need to be addressed for
the future of renewable energy.”
Sumitomo will seek new business opportunities
which can make use of
the highly economical storage system, as well as
work on developing new applications for used EV batteries.
The company aims to actively promote this approach,
which can both contribute to expanding
the use of EV and
encourage the use of renewable energy.
Sumitomo is committed to
the movement toward
lowering the carbon footprint of a sustainable society.
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
