JR West and Chugoku Electric Power signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a joint grid-scale battery storage business in the Chugoku area, the companies announced on October 29, 2026.
According to the statement, Chugoku Electric Power would handle development and operation of the assets, which would be built on JR West’s idle land and utilize its existing existing power infrastructure. No specific projects were announced but the railway operator said it aims to eventually deploy high-voltage and extra high-voltage facilities at multiple sites.
Chugoku Electric Power began construction of its first grid-scale battery storage asset, the 16MW/48MWh Kudamatsu No. 1 Power Storage Station, in Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in December 2025. The utility also partnered with Chudenko, ML Power, and the Development Bank of Japan to develop the 32MW/96MWh Kudamatsu No. 2 Power Storage Station on the same site. The projects were selected to receive support under METI’s subsidy scheme in FY2024 and FY2025, respectively.
While JR West has been active in the PPA market as an offtaker, signing a 90MW solar deal with Chugoku Electric Power among others, the partnership marks its potential entry into the grid-scale battery storage industry.
The tie-up follows Denki no Eki, a similar joint venture between JR Kyushu and Sumitomo Corporation units, which develops grid-scale battery storage on the railway operator’s unutilized land. The Kyushu-focused company has, to date, commissioned two projects in Kumamoto Prefecture and begun construction of the 16MW/70MWh Denki no Eki Isahaya in Nagasaki Prefecture.
