Girasol Energy launches grid-scale storage aggregation with two projects in Japan

Girasol Energy begins grid-scale battery aggregation with two facilities totalling 4MW in Japan, marking a strategic expansion into balancing markets.

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Girasol Energy announced the launch of its first grid-scale battery energy storage system (Battery Energy Storage System – BESS) aggregation operations through two projects located in Fukuoka and Tokushima Prefectures. The company is operating a 2MW/8MWh site in Koga City, owned by Nakagawa Shoji, and a second 2MW/4MWh project in Tokushima City, co-owned with WIN Corporation.

Commercial deployment and green financing

The Koga City facility was commissioned on October 2. This project represents Nakagawa Shoji’s initial entry into the energy sector. The construction and IT systems company secured financing from Tsukuba Bank via the institution’s first-ever green loan for grid-scale battery storage. Nakagawa Shoji plans to further develop its investments in renewable assets.

The Tokushima facility, named WIN Grid Tokushima Kokufu Power Storage Station, was commissioned on October 29. Its construction was carried out by Girasol Densetsu, Girasol Energy’s technical subsidiary, which handled engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). The project is owned by WIN Grid No. 1 LLC, a special-purpose company jointly held by WIN Corporation and Girasol Energy.

Balancing market integration planned for 2025

The aggregator plans to integrate these assets into the balancing market by the end of 2025. This move is part of the company’s strategy to build a nationwide distributed asset portfolio. In June, Girasol Energy had already announced the acquisition of a BESS project site in Tokushima, initially presented as a 2MW/8MWh facility. The current operational project, with only 4MWh of capacity, may reflect a downsizing from the original plan.

The company also mentioned securing land in Ishikawa Prefecture and now lists a project under development in Hyogo on its website. The status of these two projects remains unclear.

Founded in 2017, Girasol Energy has received private-sector investments and institutional support, notably from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Its Hyakunen Solar programme, focused on acquiring, repowering, and aggregating small- and medium-scale solar plants, remains its primary business line.

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