PowerX President Masahiro Ito
Domestically produced storage batteries store electricity generated by renewable energy. Support the explosive spread of renewable energy. (Interviewer: Masahide Inadome, editorial board)
Masahiro Ito Born in 1983 in Tokyo, from Hyogo Prefecture. Graduated from Osaka International School in 2001. Founded Yappa in 2000, sold shares of Yappa to Start Today (currently ZOZO) in 2014, became Director of ZOZO in 2017 and became COO in 2019. PowerX was established in 2001 and assumed the position of Chairman cum General Director. 39 years old. (Photo by Kimitaka Takeichi)
The company's aim is to create an "Earth Without Energy".
We have three business pillars. (1) Production and sale of large-capacity storage batteries, (2) Development and operation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and (3) Development and production of electric-carrying devices. The storage battery market in Japan is expected to reach 6 trillion yen by 2030 and 28 trillion yen by 2050. The power sector is the largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter in Japan, accounting for 42 % of the total 1 billion tons of CO2 emitted annually. To reduce CO2 in the electricity sector, the share of solar power generation is expected to double by 2030. However, solar energy can only be generated during the day. Therefore, by storing excess electricity during the day in batteries and using it at night, a thermal power plant that operates at night can be shut down and reduce CO2.This has led to an explosion of battery storage.
Storage battery cells (single battery) use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which have a low risk of fire. Cells are purchased from foreign manufacturers such as China and Korea, and assembled into modules at a partner factory in Tokushima Prefecture or our own factory in Okayama Prefecture. Production in Tokushima will begin in June. Compared to locally produced cells, it can be significantly cheaper. Instead, the software that controls the charging and discharging processes is produced in-house. In terms of economic security too, the energy control software must be made in Japan.
Bringing renewable energy on electric trains
The EV fast charger has a built-in storage battery. It does not require a high voltage receiving facility (cabinet) to draw power from the high voltage wire and the electricity bill is a low voltage contract, so installation costs can be kept low. The maximum charging capacity is 240 kWh, the fastest in Japan. It will be installed at 10 locations nationwide this summer. We're aiming for 100 locations next year and 7,000 locations nationwide in the future as a franchise.
The EV fast charger can charge with a maximum capacity of 240 kWh
Electric carriers are of great value for the short-distance transport of electricity. For example, Hokkaido has a large amount of surplus renewable energy, but there are only two power cables connecting Hokkaido and Honshu. Therefore, the ship was charged through the transmission line of the thermal power plant system hanging along the coast of Hokkaido, and after crossing Honshu by train, it was connected to the transmission line of the home system. hanging thermoelectric machine. An electric utility's transportation cost is currently 15.6 yen per kilowatt-hour, but if this were to drop to 7 to 8 yen, it would be equal to the rolling fees charged by transmission and distribution companies. shared. The electric train can also be used for offshore floating wind power plants where the sea is deep and underground cables are difficult to lay.
When I was working at my previous job at ZOZO, I learned that the problem with floating offshore wind energy was the cables. I have always been interested in inventions and want to do work that has an impact on society. If a start-up takes batteries as a starting point, renewables and decarbonization can have a huge impact. Therefore, we aim to be the next generation energy company, not a manufacturer of storage batteries.
Company Overview
Line of business: Manufacture and sale of large-capacity storage batteries, development and operation of fast chargers for electric vehicles, development and production of power-carrying devices
Headquarter location: Minato-ku, Tokyo
Established: March 2021
Capital: 5.8 billion yen
Number of employees: 76
