Nippon Chikudenchi has completed construction of the NC Karatsu Ochicho Power Storage Station, its first battery energy storage system (BESS) facility connected to the grid in the Kyushu region. The 2MW/8.1MWh unit began trial operations on October 10 in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture. The company has not yet announced a date for commercial operation.
The project was delivered with the support of Kraftia, formerly Kyudenko, which handled construction. The system uses lithium-ion batteries supplied by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) through Japanese engineering firm Daihen. It is part of a series of initiatives to expand Japan’s grid-scale energy storage capacity.
Expansion of municipal agreements
Before the completion of the Karatsu site, Nippon Chikudenchi signed a memorandum of understanding with the city to use the facility as an emergency power supply in the event of a disaster. Similar agreements were signed with the cities of Hashima, in Gifu Prefecture, and Uki, in Kumamoto Prefecture, where identical BESS projects—2MW/8.1MWh—are under development.
These local agreements form part of a broader regional rollout strategy and allow the company to integrate its assets within a framework that facilitates grid coordination. Nippon Chikudenchi aims to operate 20 similar facilities nationwide by the end of the year.
Target: 80 installations by 2026
In addition to collaborations with local governments, Nippon Chikudenchi has formed a strategic partnership with developer Sun Village to build 100MW/400MWh of storage capacity across multiple sites. The first asset under this portfolio, located in Aichi Prefecture, has been operational since May 2025.
The company is also working with Kraftia to expand its projects in the Kyushu region. By the end of 2026, it aims to increase its storage portfolio to 80 grid-scale facilities across Japan. This momentum comes as the Japanese storage market opens to larger-scale projects supported by closer coordination between private operators and local authorities.
