【AI + Power】SoftBank enters the battery industry! Collaborates with Korean companies to develop "non-flammable" aqueous batteries, aiming for over 100 billion yen in business revenue by 2030

To address the increased electricity demand brought about by the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), SoftBank Corp. announced the launch of a next-generation battery business in Japan, establishing an integrated supply chain from research and development to manufacturing.

SoftBank will utilize the former site of the “Osaka Sakai AI Data Center” in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, to set up the AX Factory (AI Operations Center) and GX Factory (Green Energy Manufacturing Center), aiming to achieve gigawatt-hour (GWh) scale mass production starting from fiscal year 2027, and plans to prioritize deploying this “Made in Japan” battery in its own large-scale AI data centers, then gradually expanding to Japan’s power grid, factories, and residential markets, with a goal of over 100 billion yen in domestic battery business revenue by fiscal year 2030.

World’s First “Zinc-Halogen” Aqueous Battery Eliminates Fire Risk

The core of SoftBank’s new business is to solve the safety issues of traditional lithium batteries by collaborating with South Korean battery company COSMOS LAB to develop a brand-new “Innovative Battery Cells”:

• Extreme Safety: Uses “pure water” as the electrolyte instead of flammable organic solvents. Structurally eliminates fire and explosion risks, making it very suitable for large data centers and residential use.
• High Efficiency and Energy Saving: Employs halogen cathode and zinc anode technology, with charge/discharge energy efficiency equal to or better than lithium batteries, and minimal energy loss.
• Supply Chain Resilience: Core raw materials (such as halogens and zinc) can be sourced domestically in Japan, significantly reducing dependence on overseas critical minerals.

Partnering with DeltaX to Build World-Class Energy Density Storage System (BESS)

In the energy storage system (BESS) sector, SoftBank is collaborating with AI company DeltaX, introducing two key technologies:

• CCS Design and CTP Technology: Maximizes the performance of individual batteries and minimizes space waste, enabling containerized storage systems to reach a world-class storage capacity of 5.37 MWh.
• AI Energy Management System (EMS): Combines SoftBank’s self-developed AI power demand forecasting to automatically optimize charge/discharge control, balancing the fluctuations of renewable energy.

Source: SoftBank Announcement