NTT Group’s Anode Energy commissions 15.3 MWh in Japan, launches turnkey service for storage projects

Japan’s energy storage sector continues to emerge as a potential Godzilla-sized market, with the NTT telecomms conglomerate’s energy arm, NTT Anode Energy, recently announcing the commissioning of three grid-scale battery storage facilities in Saitama, plus launching a turnkey a turnkey BESS construction and operation service from July 2025.

In the first instance, the announcement detailed the BESS added to Saitama Prefecture between January and May 2025, where 4.1 MW / 15.3 MWh of capacity was constructed and commissioned.

The newly operational assets are the 1.1 MW / 5.3 MWh Saitama Wako (January 2025), 2 MW / 10 MWh Saitama Miyoshi (April), and 2 MW / 10 MWh Saitama Tsurugashima (May) Power Storage Stations. NTT Anode Energy will aggregate these facilities for trading in Japan’s wholesale, balancing, and capacity markets.

The Saitama Miyoshi and Saitama Tsurugashima projects secured funding from METI’s FY2023 subsidy for large-scale energy storage. NTT Anode Energy’s operational BESS capacity includes sites in Gunma and Fukuoka Prefectures, and the company reported a total BESS pipeline of approximately 340 MWh, including its six currently operational projects.

Further deployments include 40 MWh scheduled for later this fiscal year, 90 MWh for FY2026, and 160 MWh targeting FY2028.

NTT Anode Energy was established by NTT in 2019 to attempt to supply all of the NTT group’s energy needs, as it aims for net zero by 2040. It had more than 2000 staff in 2024.

Switching on

The upcoming turnkey service, launching in July 2025, will draw on the company’s experience in developing and operating its own BESS asset portfolio. It will operate under the NTT GX brand.

Japan’s energy storage market is undergoing significant development, with analysts forecasting substantial growth in grid-scale BESS capacity by 2030 to support the nation’s energy transition.

This is driven by government objectives, including the Green Transformation (GX) policy targeting 40-50% renewable energy by 2040 and the emphasis in the national Strategic Energy Plan on storage for enhancing energy security and grid stability with increasing renewable penetration.

Regulatory updates have formally defined energy storage systems, facilitating their integration and participation in evolving electricity markets, such as the capacity market (fully operational since FY2024) and the balancing market, which are becoming crucial revenue streams for BESS. National METI subsidies, often covering a significant portion of initial capital expenditure for qualifying projects, alongside regional support mechanisms like those from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, continue to be vital in improving project economics and encouraging investment in the sector.