Kawasaki Concludes First License Agreement for iVSGTM Virtual Synchronous Generator Control Technology ~Contributing to building sustainable power grids with renewable energy and inverter-based resource~
Aug. 03, 2026
Tokyo, August 3, 2026 — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced the conclusion of a license agreement with IKS Co., Ltd. (IKS, President: Takashi Imai; Head Office: Kyoto City) regarding iVSGTM*, a control technology that simulates the characteristics of a synchronous generator using an Inverter-Based Resource (IBR). This agreement marks the first time that Kawasaki has provided a license for this technology.
As renewable energy expands toward a carbon-neutral society, power demand is also expected to keep growing as the number of data centers increases with the spread of generative AI. This makes both the expanded use of renewable energy and the introduction of energy storage to adjust for fluctuations in power supply and demand increasingly important. Renewable energy sources and energy storages are typical IBRs. However, unlike the synchronous generators used for conventional power sources such as thermal power generation, IBRs lack the inertia required to maintain the frequency of the power grid, presenting an obstacle to grid stability as such resources increase.
The iVSGTM technology virtually gives an IBR the inertia and other characteristics of a synchronous generator, thereby maintaining the stability even when renewable energy is the main power source.
Drawing on the extensive track record and knowledge it has built up in the energy field, Kawasaki has tackled this issue and carried out demonstration tests in Japan and overseas. Kawasaki now aims to roll out the technology by licensing it to inverter manufacturers, and under the present agreement with IKS, inverters embedded with iVSGTM are expected to enter the market around 2027.
Kawasaki will continue to license this technology to inverter manufacturers to overcome the low-inertia grid associated with the expansion of renewable energy. Through sustainable power grids built with renewable energy and distributed power systems, Kawasaki will help realize a carbon-neutral society.
| * | iVSGTM A control application developed by Kawasaki for IBRs. IBRs such as solar power do not have rotating parts, so they do not independently possess the inertia required to maintain grid frequency. However, the grid frequency can be maintained by equipping the IBRs with iVSGTM to mimic the behavior of rotating machines. iVSGTM is a registered trademark of Kawasaki under the Japanese Trademark Act. (No. 6699786) |
Links for reference
Virtual Synchronous Generator (iVSGTM) | Kawasaki Heavy Industries
https://global.kawasaki.com/en/energy/vsg.html
Kawasaki Signs MOU on Consortium Toward Expanding the Introduction of Renewable Energy in the Republic of the Philippines (February 13, 2023)
https://global.kawasaki.com/en/corp/newsroom/news/detail/?f=20230213_0578
Kawasaki’s VSG (Virtual Synchronous Generator) Control Feasibility Study Project in the Philippines and Malaysia Selected for METI’s Overseas Infrastructure Development Support Program（August 9, 2023）
https://www.khi.co.jp/pressrelease/detail/20230809_1.html(Japanese)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the Palau Public Utilities Corporation Sign MOU to Enhance Power System Stability and Operational Flexibility in Support of Decarbonization (October 28, 2024)
https://www.khi.co.jp/pressrelease/detail/20241028_1.html(Japanese)
YouTube Links for reference
iVSG Virtual Synchronous Generator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1g_eP1nVXk(Japanese)
iVSG Co-Creating a Sustainable Energy Future : Demonstration in the Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOEPCme3tow
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