NAGOYA CITY: Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Chubu Electric Power) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced that the two companies have concluded a basic agreement with the aim of commencing a verification project that entails construction of a large-capacity storage battery system that re-uses electrified vehicle batteries, as well as examination of the recycling of used batteries.
Toyota is actively promoting the use of electrified vehicles and is also pursuing the effective use of batteries and the development of social infrastructure that will support the widespread adoption of electrified vehicles.
The two companies aim to reuse batteries collected from electrified vehicles manufactured by Toyota as a storage battery system for utilization in meeting various challenges posed by the electric power system.
When combined in large numbers, used batteries, even with reduced performance levels, can be re-purposed for energy supply-demand adjustments, frequency fluctuation management, and voltage fluctuation management in distribution systems, all factors that accompany the widespread introduction of renewable energy.
Example of using the Storage Battery System to solve challenges in the electric power system. Utilization for energy supply-demand adjustment.
The two companies aim to introduce power generation capacity of approximately 10,000 kW, equivalent to 10,000 batteries, in 2020.
The initial stage will involve nickel-metal hydride batteries, which are currently being used in large quantities, mainly in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV).
Utilization to counter frequency fluctuations.
Utilization to counter voltage fluctuations in distribution systems.
By around 2030, the plan is to include lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).
The two companies will consider establishing a mechanism to recycle reused batteries by collecting materials such as rare-earth metals and re-utilizing them.
Flow of reusing/recycling.
