Japan wants 20% share of global battery market by 2030

Japan aims to have a 20% share of the global market for rechargeable batteries by 2030, increasing the production capacity of the country’s companies by nearly 10 times to 600 gigawatt-hours (GWh), the Industry Ministry said on Friday. thursday (22).

“We will step up our support to help the Japanese battery industry regain global market share, which it has lost in recent years in the battle with Chinese and South Korean rivals,” Nobutaka Takeo, the ministry’s director, told reporters.

Japan’s market share of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles dropped to 21% in 2020 from 40% in 2015, and the country’s share of batteries used in energy storage systems dropped to 5% in 2020, up from 27% in 2016, the ministry said.

The minister did not provide a figure for Japan’s current overall market share in rechargeable batteries.

For the 2030 target, presented by the ministry at a panel of experts to discuss Japan’s strategy for the rechargeable battery market, the country aims to increase production capacity to 150 gigawatt-hours by 2030, from around 20 gigawatt-hours. now.

The Japanese government also aims to expand the global production capacity of local manufacturers to 600 gigawatt-hours by 2030 from the current 60 to 70 gigawatt-hours, and will aim for large-scale commercialization of solid-state batteries by 2030.

Batteries are critical for Japan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 as it is the most important technology in the electrification of automobiles and other mobility devices.

In addition, rechargeable batteries are essential to adjust electricity supply and demand and help the country increase its use of renewable energy, the ministry said.

The ministry plans to establish a final action strategy for the sector by the middle of this year, including concrete measures of government support.