11 October 2024

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. conducted a microgrid demonstration project on an actual power distribution grid using its redox flow battery (RFB) in collaboration with Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in California from 2015 to 2021. Sumitomo Electric has received the ISGAN Award 2024 in recognition of its achievements in this demonstration project.

The Annual ISGAN Awards recognize outstanding smart grid initiatives from around the world, and this year's 10th award was held under the theme of "Flexibility for Grid Resilience." Given the recent changes in the international resource situation and the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, the need to improve the resilience of power infrastructure has now become much greater than ever all over the world. This demonstration project^*1 has been highly praised as one of the global best practices that can contribute to ensuring the grid resilience. Sumitomo Electric has won the ISGAN Award^*2 2024 Honorable Mention. This is the third time for a Japanese company to receive the ISGAN award. The awards ceremony was held on October 2nd at the 15th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM15) in Brazil, and the project was widely promoted around the world as an innovative and effective model case in smart grid development.


(Second from right: Mr. KIHARA Shinichi, Director-General for Energy and Environmental Policy, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, who served as a presenter on behalf of ISGAN member countries and Japan. Third from left: Mr. KAWABATA Shigeru, President & CEO of Sumitomo Electric USA, Inc., who was on stage as an award honoree.)

Sumitomo Electric is focusing on expanding the market of RFB, which has features such as safety, fire resistance, long lifespan, recyclability and reusability, and environmental friendliness. The Company will contribute to the expansion of the introduction of renewable energy both domestically and internationally.



Notes

*1 Demonstration project
•    Project title: International Demonstration Project to Prove Japanese Technology for Improved Energy Consumption Efficiency/Demonstration Project Testing Storage Battery Operation for Both Electricity Transmission and Distribution in California, USA
•    Project period: FY2015 to FY2021
•    Project overview: NEDO and Sumitomo Electric conducted a microgrid demonstration project on an actual power distribution grid in San Diego, California in cooperation with the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and San Diego Gas &Electric, a major investor-owned utility in the state. This demonstration tested RFBs, which are long-life stationary storage batteries suitable for larger scale use. This project has successfully demonstrated the ability to operate a microgrid that can generate profit through electricity market transactions during normal times, while also providing electricity supply as an emergency power source during disasters or planned outages. Furthermore, this facility is still being operated in the electricity wholesale market by SDG&E even after the demonstration.
•    Reference: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (July 7, 2023) “Ex-post Evaluation of Redox Flow Battery Demonstration Project in California and Public Event to Present the Results of Demonstration Project in San Diego” [press release].
https://sumitomoelectric.com/jp/press/2023/07/prs081

＊2 ISGAN Award
•    The International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN), which is a technology collaboration program of the International Energy Agency (IEA) that promotes the development and dissemination of smart grid-related technologies on a global scale, organizes the ISGAN Awards in collaboration with the Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF).


•    Reference: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. (October 11, 2024) “NEDO Demonstration Project Using Redox Flow Battery in the U.S. Receives the ISGAN Award 2024 — Awarded at CEM15 as a Best Practice that Contributes to Ensuring the Grid Resilience” [press release].
https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/news/AA5en_100470.html

•    Reference: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Redox Flow Battery,
　  https://sumitomoelectric.com/products/redox

•    Reference: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (2022) “Supporting Renewable Energy: The Mission of Redox Flow Energy Storage Batteries” in Sumitomo Electric Group e-magazine “id” Vol.19.
     https://sumitomoelectric.com/id/project/v19/01