JERA and Toyota Motor Corporation announced the construction and commissioning of the first energy storage system capacity sweeper in the world.
The system has been built with batteries recovered from electrified vehicles (HEV, PHEV, BEV, FCEV) and is connected to the consumer electricity network and has already started operating.
In the future, the demand for storage batteries is expected to grow, as they become necessary tools to stabilize supply when renewable energy expands in the move towards reducing CO2 emissions, a vital part of achieving the carbon neutrality.
At the same time, the scarcity of battery materials, such as cobalt and lithium, makes it necessary to undertake environmentally friendly initiatives, such as the recovery of used batteries from electric vehicles for their effective use as storage batteries. .
In response, JERA and Toyota began talks in 2018 to establish battery reuse technologies, ultimately leading to this large-capacity, grid-connected scavenging energy storage system.
Toyota’s new storage system is equipped with a function called scavenging, which allows recovered vehicle batteries, which have significant differences in performance and capacity, to be used at full capacity, regardless of their level of deterioration.
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The sweep function, developed by Toyota, is a device that can freely control the discharge of energy by turning on and off the electrical flow (bypass) through series-connected batteries in microseconds.
In addition, the sweep function also allows direct AC output from batteries, while the reuse of on-board inverters eliminates the need for a power conditioner (PCS).
This contributes to lower costs and helps avoid energy loss when converting from AC to DC through the PCS, in order to improve the effective use of energy.
The project plans to use grid storage batteries for recharging and discharging operations, connected to the Chubu Electric Power Grid Co. power distribution system from a facility at JERA’s Yokkaichi Thermal Power Plant.
JERA and Toyota aim to introduce approximately 100,000 kWh of delivered electricity by mid-2020, which will not only reduce the overall cost of the energy storage system, but also contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
In addition, JERA is developing a low-environmental-impact process for recycling lithium-ion batteries for electrified vehicles, which Toyota plans to support by leveraging the experience and knowledge it has accumulated through its battery recycling initiatives to date. .
By collecting used batteries and reusing resources, both companies hope to accelerate their efforts towards a society that recycles resources.
JERA will continue to work proactively not only within the energy industry, but also with leading companies in Japan and abroad to develop technologies such as battery storage systems and services that contribute to optimal energy utilization to achieve a more sustainable society. decarbonized and recycling of resources.
Toyota actively promotes the adoption of electric vehicles and pursues the efficient use of batteries, including the reuse of electric vehicle batteries, for the development of a social infrastructure that supports the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, expands the use of renewable energies and promote the recycling of resources to achieve carbon neutrality.
