Manoa has started commercial operation of the Helios 104 MWh/50 MW battery energy storage system in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan. The BESS was developed in partnership with Brawn and HD Renewable Energy Japan by Brawn’s 100%-owned Japan based development platform Manoa Energy.
“This is successful completion of our first standalone extra-high voltage BESS” said Scott Reinhart, CEO of Brawn. “Brawn will continue to develop our additional 1 GW pipeline of extra-high voltage and high voltage assets throughout Japan, for commercial operations between 2026 and 2030”.
Helios construction began in April 2024. The project uses Tesla Megapack 2XL batteries, while engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) was managed by Hokkaidenko Corp. The Helios asset is a 100% merchant BESS which will participate in the wholesale, balancing, and capacity markets.
Dean Cooper, head of Manoa Energy and COO of Brawn said: “Japan’s energy storage sector is experiencing rapid acceleration, positioning Japan among the world’s most dynamic energy storage markets. Manoa Energy is excited to be part of Japan’s energy transition momentum, as the country emphasises battery energy storage systems as a strategic priority for its critical energy infrastructure.”
