PowerX to build its first GW scale battery assembly plant

"Power Base" in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, in collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Architect Kazuyo Sejima

Pilot production will start in 2023, followed by product delivery in Spring 2024

TOKYO, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PowerX, Inc. announced today the plan to establish "Power Base," its first home-grown GW scale battery assembly plant. Situated in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, Power Base will begin pilot production in 2023, followed by product delivery for EV fast chargers and other battery energy storage systems in Spring 2024.

To accelerate the shift to renewable energy, PowerX is committed to delivering energy storage solutions, a quintessential part of the new power infrastructure, as well as to creating a symbiosis between nature and industry. Spreading across a total area of 28,272 square meters, Power Base is equipped with an annual production capacity of 5 GWh, equivalent to producing around 10,000 units of battery energy storage per year. Besides battery assembly lines, the campus-like site also houses facilities such as R&D centers, offices, and conference rooms. Envisioned to be the starting point of a sustainable and tech-driven future, Power Base will lead to the employment of over 100 professionals, including engineers, technicians, and manufacturing operators.

The factory is designed by Kazuyo Sejima, a world-renowned architect who has worked on various projects in Japan and abroad, including the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa*, which took home the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale Awards, the Musée du Louvre-Lens*, a branch of the Musée du Louvre, and the Inujima "Art House Project" in Okayama, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa*, which took home the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale Awards. Through close collaboration with Kazuyo Sejima, PowerX envisages a "factory of the future" that coexists in harmony with Tamano City's nature and contributes to the revitalization of local communities.

• Home-grown GW scale factory for cost-effective, high-performance battery storage products

Energy storage solutions powered by batterie are the key enablers to overcome the challenges to the widespread adoption of EVs, increased demand for grid balancing, and further growth of renewable energy. To tackle those challenges, PowerX is establishing its own GW scale battery plant, Power Base, to produce turnkey energy storage systems, including grid-scale stationary batteries, EV fast chargers, marine batteries, and home batteries. Part of the capital raised from the first half of the Series A financing will fund the construction of Power Base*.

* "PowerX raised 4.81 billion JPY in the first half of Series A funding" (https://power-x.jp/en/news/pdf/PowerX_en_20220523_1.pdf)

Power Base is situated in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture. Blessed by the mild climate and lush natural scenery, the city neighbors the shores of the Seto Inland Sea and is relatively protected from earthquakes and other natural disasters. Once home to Japan's shipbuilding industry, the city is surrounded by deep water ports that can accommodate larger ships; its history as a shipbuilding town is also favorable for technical talent recruitment. In addition, Tamano City's main port, Uno Port, is the primary gateway to Setouchi Islands as well as a venue for Setouchi Triennale, an international art festival. Aspired by the city's favorable geographical position and natural resources, Power Base will prioritize sustainable, eco-friendly manufacturing through its automated assembly lines and production optimization.

• "Factory of the future" designed by the internally renowned architect Kazuyo Sejima

Beyond operating as the manufacturing base for battery storage solutions that guarantee an uninterrupted supply of power generated from natural resources, Power Base envisions providing a comfortable space that stimulates creativity and communication. Such concepts are reflected in the architectural design by Kazuyo Sejima, the only Japanese female architect to win a Pritzker Award.

The design leverages the factory's geographical location at a canal close to Uno Port, a gateway from Honshu to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, and transforms existing buildings into a new working space. The whole factory complex is canopied by one large undulating roof that visually blends to its natural surroundings, and each facility underneath is connected through the garden, creating a welcoming and engaging space. Under the edge of the curved roof is a conference room that overlooks the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. To utilize the existing buildings and the surrounding idyllic scenery, Sejima has designed a "new working space" that attracts and inspires people.

In addition to Sejima's design, Power Base will contribute to preserving local biodiversity as a sustainable factory that adopts automated assembly lines and other measures to achieve high production efficiency with minimal environmental impact.

Location: Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture
Site area: 28,272 m2
Production capacity?5Gwh per year
Facilities: ESS production line, office, research & development centers, gallery, etc.
Project partners: Kazuyo Sejima & Associates, Okumura Corporation, etc.
Power Base Website http://plant.power-x.jp/

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