Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has completed the construction of a commercial production verification plant for lithium-ion secondary batteries at its Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works. The plant has a production capacity of 66 MWh of batteries a year, which is equivalent to 400 000 medium-size cells. Going forward MHI aims to verify various technologies as it aims for an early startup of full-scale commercial production.
MHI began construction of the verification plant on a 2000 square metre site in the autumn of 2009. Beginning next month, the company will launch production in order to verify factors essential for commercial production, including operation rates, tact time and battery performance. For the verification production line, MHI has integrally incorporated various technologies from its diversified business areas, including those related to slurry preparation, coating, and mass-production management knowhow from turbocharger production. The company will make its decision on full-scale commercial production next year, taking into account the market situations in Japan and overseas, future prospects, and the verification results.
Besides producing lithium-ion secondary batteries, MHI has entered into the market for the products using the battery. In stationary applications, MHI has developed a large-scale energy storage system using a lithium-ion battery. The company began verification of the system for application as an auxiliary power source to supplement unstable electric power supply systems overseas, and as an electricity supply grid stabilization system in a quest to promote further adoption of renewable energies such as wind and photovoltaic power.
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