To launch a battery facility specifically for AI data centres by 2027, SoftBank said it plans to convert a former Sharp LCD facility in Sakai, Osaka into a large-scale battery manufacturing facility.
The batteries will power SoftBank’s AI data centres, in line with its strategy to secure its own power supply chain as data centre power needs surge.
“SoftBank plans to deploy these Japan-produced batteries at the large-scale AI data centres it is developing. SoftBank also plans to provide them sequentially for grid applications in Japan, as well as for factories and other industrial uses, as well as for residential use, with a view to expanding into global markets over the medium term,” the company explained in a statement.
“Through these initiatives, SoftBank aims to achieve annual revenue of over 100 billion JPY (US$626.55 million) for its domestic battery business by FY2030.”
The facility will produce batteries without using lithium or cobalt to reduce costs and avoid geopolitical supply chain issues, the company said. This aligns with other technology giants who are currently looking at alternative energy solutions to support developing AI infrastructure.
To facilitate its battery business, SoftBank is collaborating with Cosmos Lab to jointly develop innovative battery cells that combine highly safe and non-flammable characteristics with superior energy storage performance. The zinc-halogen batteries developed by Cosmos Lab use pure water as the electrolyte to reduce fire risk.
“SoftBank and Cosmos Lab aim to establish technology for mass production at an early stage, and commence mass production around FY2027,” SoftBank said.
For energy storage systems, SoftBank is working with DeltaX to develop and manufacture an energy storage system that achieves world-class energy density. SoftBank said it will integrate an energy management system with AI-based power demand, with the goal being to achieve mass production of these systems on a GWh-per-year scale.
Focusing on storage rather than generation is part of SoftBank’s goal to stockpile power during off-peak hours – something that is critical in a market that is capacity-constrained and high-cost.
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) refer to energy infrastructure focused on battery cells that handle power storage, supply and supply-demand optimisation. As renewable energy adoption expands, SoftBank said BESS helps support the stable supply of electricity.
The company said of its efforts: “This system leverages DeltaX’s world-leading BESS technologies. Through the adoption of its proprietary CCS design and CTP technology, along with rigorous reductions in component count and the minimisation of unused space within the enclosure, DeltaX has achieved a storage capacity of 5.37 MWh in a standard containerised lithium-ion battery BESS and aims to achieve comparable or greater capacity with innovative battery cells.”
It added: “By incorporating an EMS equipped with an AI-based power demand forecasting function developed independently by SoftBank, optimal control of charging and discharging will be achieved, enabling efficient and stable operation in accordance with varying electricity demand and renewable energy generation levels.”
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