Sumitomo Electric Industries’s vanadium redox flow battery (RF battery), together with its energy management system sEMSA🄬 has been adopted as the energy storage system for the “Kurokiyama Solar Power Plant,” which was developed by Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture.
A completion ceremony for the “Kurokiyama Solar Power Generation Installation Project” was held on April 22, 2025, after the construction work by Mitaden Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture; President: Izumi Hirose), which was contracted to design and construct the project.
The Kurokiyama Solar Power Plant was developed to reduce the amount of commercial electricity used on a daily basis as part of Minamikyushu City’s regional decarbonization project to become a “Zero Carbon City.” Electricity generated by the solar power plant will be supplied to 10 major facilities in the surrounding area via dedicated lines. Our RF battery (installed capacity of 1,125 kWh: 250 kW x 4.5 hours) will serve as the energy storage system at this power plant, storing excess power during the day and releasing it at night, thereby contributing to reduced power usage. In the event of an emergency, the RF battery will operate independently to ensure the continuity of critical power infrastructure by supplying electricity to major evacuation centers as a priority.
In selecting the energy storage system, our RF battery was selected due to its long lifespan and its low risks of both degradation from long-term operation and fire due to ignition. The RF battery is made of materials that do not contain hazardous substances, thus minimizing environmental impact. Furthermore, this is the first time that our RF battery has been adopted for a project eligible for a regional decarbonization promotion subsidy*3 under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment. The company said, “We will apply our safe and long-lasting RF batteries to further contribute to local decarbonization projects, utilize renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
