Asahi Kasei to Team Up with Nissan Motor, Omron to Develop Power Storage System

Asahi Kasei will team up with Nissan Motor and Omron to develop an inexpensive power storage system made by recycled electric-vehicle batteries, the Nikkei business daily reported.

The firm will recycle used batteries acquired from 4R Energy, a joint venture between Nissan and Sumitomo, the newspaper reported.

Asahi Kasei aims to first develop a system based on a brand-new battery, and expects to launch sales in fiscal 2012 for 1-2 million yen through Asahi Kasei Homes. It will then gradually equip the system with recycled batteries and lower the price to under 1 million yen, the daily said.

It is estimated that more than 500,000 EVs will be sold in Japan annually by 2020, the Nikkei reported.

The battery is expected to offer a 10kw capacity so that users will be able to store power at night when rates are lower for use during the day, the daily reported.