Japanese firm nets batteries order for large-scale hydrogen project

Japan’s NGK INSULATORS has received a NAS batteries order from BASF Stationary Energy Storage (BSES), a subsidiary of German BASF, for a large-scale green hydrogen production project, developed by German HH2E.

According to NGK, the NAS batteries that have been ordered have a maximum output of 18 megawatts and a capacity of 104.4 megawatt-hours, and are a part of the large-scale project for green hydrogen production currently under development on the Baltic Sea shore in the north of Germany. Further information on the project was not provided.

The current order is the first delivery batch of the NAS batteries with a total capacity of more than 230 megawatt-hours reserved by HH2E for the project. Negotiations for the next deliveries are also underway.

The NAS batteries will be charged with electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and will supply power to the electrolyzer for the green hydrogen production process, NKG revealed, adding that NAS batteries, capable of high-capacity and long-duration discharge, are well-suited for shifting peak loads over an extended period using electricity derived from renewable energy sources.

NGK stated: “The NAS batteries’ track record, safety and high reliability as energy storage technology have been highly evaluated, leading to their adoption in this project. This is the first commercial adoption of NAS batteries for green hydrogen production projects.”

NGK and BSES established a sales partnership agreement for NAS batteries in 2019, and NGK said it will continue to partner with BSES to further promote marketing and sales activities for the batteries.

To remind, in April 2024, NGK also entered a partnership with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to jointly develop a hydrogen purification system that uses membrane separation to purify from hydrogen-nitrogen mixture gas after ammonia cracking.

The companies expect the technology to contribute to the establishment of a hydrogen and ammonia supply chain enabling high-volume transport.