Gurīn Energy has announced plans to develop, build and operate a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Japan. The planned project is a 500 MW capacity, four-hour BESS that will be able to store up to 2 GWh of electricity, or enough electricity to charge 50,000 electric vehicles. The projected cost of development for the project is $600 million over a six-year period. Construction on the BESS is expected to begin in 2026. The planned project does not require any specific financial commitment from Gurīn Energy Investor Infratil Ltd.
Once operational, the lithium-ion battery (LFP) will store and discharge electricity when needed, enabling grid operators to balance energy demand and generation more quickly and cleanly than conventional methods. The BESS is expected to help avoid at least 7 million tonnes of carbon emissions during its lifetime, emissions associated with the flexibility provided by fossil fuel energy generation. The company is considering a number of locations and conducting an assessment to finalise a site for BESS development in either Fukushima or Tochigi prefectures.
Furthermore, the project will benefit from the expertise of the company’s important Japanese project partners. Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric Industrial Systems Corporation will supply the BESS solution for the project, and Nippon Koei Energy Solutions will provide engineering consulting. The project will create an estimated 120 jobs over the course of its lifespan.
Gurīn Energy Pte Ltd. is a Singapore-headquartered renewable energy developer. Its team of approximately 70 people across Asia is focused on the development, ownership and operation of solar, wind and storage assets. The company was founded by its senior management team together with Infratil Ltd., a listed infrastructure investment company that has also established renewable energy platforms in the United States, Europe and Australia, holding a development pipeline of over 30 GW across four continents and 29 markets. Infratil Ltd. is managed by Morrison, a global infrastructure investment company with $30 billion of assets under management.
