Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, has been selected by leading Asian renewable energy developer Gurīn Energy to supply a battery energy storage system (BESS) for the latter’s major energy storage project being developed in Fukushima, Japan.

Saft will deliver a fully integrated lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system with a total of over 1 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of storage, together with power conversion and power management systems from its partners, as well as Saft’s I-Sight cloud supervision and data management systems featuring AI-based functionalities. The BESS will also be installed, commissioned and serviced by Saft.

The BESS will be deployed in Gurīn Energy’s stand-alone energy storage project to be built in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. The project will be capable of providing over 240 megawatts (MW) of power for four hours and construction is expected to begin in 2026.

Large-scale energy storage systems store and discharge electricity when there is a need for energy, enabling grid operators to balance energy demand and generation more quickly and cleanly than conventional methods.

Adding energy storage capacity will allow Japan to ensure a stable and sustainable supply of energy and avoid curtailment of renewable energy. This will help Japan progress towards national renewable energy targets of 40-50 percent of the generation mix by 2040, up from 27 percent, as well as the country’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Vincent Le Quintrec, Saft Sales and Marketing Director for Energy Storage Systems, said: “Asia is a critical region for the sustained, long-term growth of Saft’s ESS business. We are very proud that Gurīn Energy has selected Saft for this project in Japan, which is key for the country’s energy future. Saft’s proven long-term record in lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems, together with Gurīn Energy’s ambition in renewable project development, will play an important role in Japan’s energy transition.”

Ushio Okuyama, Country Manager, Japan, Gurīn Energy, said: “At Gurīn Energy, we’re on a mission to accelerate the energy transition in Asia, and we do this by developing projects that strategically advance the renewable energy landscape in the region. Our project in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture is a groundbreaking project that will substantially contribute to the flexibility of the local, regional and national power grids. We are delighted to be partnering with Saft, a global expert in battery solutions, and we are more confident than ever of developing a project that will benefit Japan as a whole.”