BPS Verification Test Started with East Japan Railway

Tokyo, July 2, 2012 – Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has started the verification testing of its wayside energy storage system, the Battery Power System (BPS), with the East Japan Railway Company. This is the first time East Japan Railway has installed a wayside energy storage system on a revenue service line. Results of this test will be used to evaluate the benefits of the BPS, the only wayside energy storage system to be directly connected to the feeder line.

Kawasaki and East Japan Railway have signed a joint research and development agreement, with Kawasaki being responsible for the design and manufacturing of the BPS as well as the measurement and analysis of the test data, and East Japan Railway being responsible for the procurement of the test field and the operation of the BPS. The BPS is installed at the Kori Substation located along the Ome Line and utilizes high-capacity nickel-metal hydride GIGACELL* battery banks. The BPS will be operated intermittently until February 2013 and the evaluation of its benefits, such as seasonal energy savings and traction power line voltage stabilization, will be done by comparing operation data with and without the BPS.

About the Battery Power System (BPS)

The BPS uses Kawasaki’s proprietary high-capacity nickel-metal hydride GIGACELL batteries. The rapid charging and discharging capabilities of the GIGACELL enables the BPS to operate without any kind of control device, such as a chopper, so it can be connected directly to the traction power line. The absence of the controller means no controller-related losses and delays, no electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can interfere with railway signal and communication systems and makes for a more compact and cost effective system. The BPS contributes to safe, reliable rail transport and the efficient use of energy.

Capable of rapid charging and discharging, GIGACELL effectively responds to sharp fluctuations in renewable energy supplies. GIGACELL has numerous applications in a wide range of fields including output stabilization in renewable power generation, autonomous operation system in times of disaster, electrical storage device for ships, and wayside energy storage system for railways (“Battery Power System”). Kawasaki will continue to develop new technologies that contribute to effective energy uses.

□　Specifications of the BPS for Kori Substation

*GIGACELL is a registered trademark of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.