Macquarie’s battery storage offshoot to build its first four hour project in Japan

Eku Energy, a global energy storage specialist jointly owned by Macquarie Asset Management and BCI, has announced plans to build a 30 MW, four hour battery storage project in Japan, the company’s first in the country.

The Hirohara Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is set to be built in Oaza Hirohara, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture on southern Japan’s Kyushu Island.

The 30MW/120MWh project – will be Eku’s first such project in Japan. Eku Energry will maintain ownership of the project but has already signed a 20-year offtake agreement with Japan’s largest natural gas utility, Tokyo Gas.

Construction is expected to get underway in the second half of the year with operations expected to commence by the middle of 2026.

“‍The Hirohara battery energy storage system is Eku Energy’s first project in Japan set to reach financial close and our latest global project that combines our global energy storage specialisation coupled with our deep local presence,” said Daniel Burrows, head of Eku Energy APAC.  

“We are pleased to be partnering with Tokyo Gas as offtaker as we together accelerate the energy transition. The policy settings in Japan support investment in battery energy storage and are compatible with delivering safe, secure and reliable green energy in a cost-effective manner to energy consumers, which is our mission.”

Eku Energy currently boasts a project portfolio totalling 4.6GWh across four countries – Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and now Japan.

It built the first big battery to be completed at the site of a former coal fired power generator, the 150MW/150MWh Hazlewood battery that is now operation, and is building the 200MW/400MWh first stage of the Rangebank battery in Victoria, and the 250MW/500MWh Williamsdale battery in the ACT.