A 10MW hydrogen production plant powered from renewable energy has just opened in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, and is thought to be the world’s largest to date.

Northvolt, the startup which recently netted a US$1 billion equity raise for its initial lithium battery ‘gigafactory’ in Sweden, has said that its ambitions extend deep into the energy storage solutions space, in addition to its involvement with major carmakers.

Multinational chemicals company BASF has furthered its interest in the energy storage industry, partnering on the development of ‘metal-free’ flow battery electrolytes with German startup JenaBatteries.

While energy storage system (ESS) batteries are often described as stationary storage to distinguish them from batteries used in automotive applications, a new partnership in Europe turns containerised ESS into mobile power sources.

Manz AG, manufacturing equipment supplier, has signed off on a €20 million (US$21.83 million) deal with “high performance” battery maker AKASOL for planned ‘gigafactories’ in Germany and in the US.

EU decision-makers have recognised the key role energy storage can play, integrating it into the EU’s Clean Energy Package (CEP) in some critically important ways. Valeska Gottke at BVES looks at how Germany’s industry is working towards these same goals.

Germany-headquartered renewable energy generation company Innogy will construct its first battery storage facility in Ireland.

There could be 10 guiding principles for integrating energy storage as a vital “pillar” of the energy transition.

Manz AG has signed an agreement with China’s Shenzhen Yinghe Technology for strategic cooperation in lithium-ion cell and module production.

Rolls-Royce Power Systems, the Germany-headquartered engines and propulsions company in the Rolls-Royce Holdings group, has taken a majority interest in microgrid and hybrid power solutions company Qinous.