MK Taxi installs Japan's first vanadium-ion battery energy storage system at Kyoto HQ
Power & EnergyKyotoEV-batterypower-gridrenewable-energy
MK Group's taxi operator MK Co. installed Standard Energy's vanadium-ion battery energy storage system (VIB ESS) at its Kyoto headquarters garage to support EV rapid-charging infrastructure, marking the technology's first deployment in Japan. The system, supplied by South Korea's Standard Energy and distributed via LB Hunet with support from Mitsubishi Corp's Korea unit, will undergo a one-year demonstration from July 2026 before a decision on full-scale rollout, aiming to reduce peak electricity demand charges as MK expands its EV taxi fleet toward full ZEV conversion by 2030.
GS Yuasa will develop a new manufacturing plant for stationary energy storage systems in Ibaraki Prefecture under its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry-approved battery supply security plan. The facility is scheduled to begin supply in October 2028, with production spanning domestically made lithium-ion battery cells through control systems.
Kansai Electric has begun commercial operation of the Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind power project in Germany, in which it participates alongside Gremont Partners and other investors. The offshore facility comprises 83 wind turbines located approximately 70 km from the coast, with total capacity of 913 MW.
Reene Energy and Appletree will jointly develop a grid-connected battery storage facility in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, to store surplus renewable electricity and discharge it during evening demand peaks. Reene Energy will own and operate the facility, while Appletree will provide EPC services; construction is scheduled to start in October 2026, with operations targeted during FY2027.
Kyushu Electric Power has submitted a project-stage environmental consideration document for the planned new Shimousen-Matsubara pumped-storage hydroelectric power station. The submission marks an early planning and environmental-assessment stage; investment cost, capacity and construction schedule were not disclosed in the source.
Kokusai Kogyo, which owns and operates the facilities under an on-site PPA contract with Muko City, completed solar power generation systems designed and installed by SYLA Solar at Muko Municipal Dairoku Koyo Elementary School and Muko Municipal Nishinooka Junior High School in Kyoto. Construction ran from January 19 to February 28, 2026; the project provides renewable electricity and emergency power during outages.