French renewables firm Neoen has announced its first Japan investment: a 100 MW/400 MWh battery storage facility in Hyogo Prefecture. The Ako Battery, developed with Equans and Toho, will connect to KEPCO’s grid and is slated for operation in 2028.
During the French Japanese Business Forum in Tokyo, held alongside French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit, Neoen disclosed its entry into Japan’s energy storage market with the Ako Battery project. Located in Hyogo Prefecture within the Kansai region, the 100 MW, four-hour duration battery (400 MWh capacity) will be one of the country’s largest storage systems.
Neoen secured a grid connection agreement with Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) in January 2026. The company is collaborating with French engineering firm Equans and Japanese partner Toho. A notice to proceed is expected in the coming months, with commercial operations targeted for 2028.
Neoen is an independent renewable energy producer headquartered in France, operating solar, wind, and storage assets globally. This development matters as Japan’s grid increasingly requires long-duration storage to integrate variable renewables and enhance resilience following market deregulation.
Battery storage developers, utilities, and grid operators in the Kansai region will see direct impact. For investors, the project signals growing institutional confidence in Japan’s energy storage sector, which is expected to expand amid rising renewable penetration and frequency regulation market opportunities.
Neoen’s local Tokyo-based team is actively building a project pipeline, indicating sustained strategic commitment to the Japanese market.
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