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Japanese battery industry development situation and strategy analysis

Japanese battery industry development situation and strategy analysis

Table of Contents

Since the 1980s, the Japanese government has given long-term and stable support to the research and development of lithium-ion batteries, and formulated a roadmap and action plan for power battery research and development. Focus on research and development of lithium-ion power battery cells, modules, standards, evaluation and key raw materials. Japan has made a huge breakthrough in lithium battery technology, which has led to the commercialization of lithium batteries.

In order to cope with the rapidly expanding global power battery market and to reverse the current relatively disadvantaged situation in the power battery market, Japan has once again put the development of power batteries on the agenda. By clarifying the development route and goals of the battery industry, support the rapid development of battery technology.

Japanese government strategic plan for the battery industry

With the development of the pure electric vehicle market, the scale of the vehicle battery market is growing rapidly. Japan occupied the battery industry market in the early stage by virtue of its technological advantages, but as Chinese and Korean battery companies continue to seize market share, Japan has fallen behind.

In the battery supply chain, Japanese battery components are also losing competitiveness, and the risk of foreign dependence on raw materials and battery manufacturing has increased. In terms of battery material competitiveness, Japanese materials have an advantage in terms of quality and market share. However, China has a cost advantage and material quality is also catching up.

In terms of raw material supply, the raw material reserves and production in the global battery supply chain are concentrated in Australia, Congo, etc., the midstream refining production is concentrated in China, and Japan’s graphite materials rely on Chinese imports.

Japanese government strategic plan for the battery industry

In terms of battery form, liquid lithium batteries are still the mainstream at present, and Japan has been leading the technology level in the new generation of all-solid-state lithium batteries that have attracted much attention. In order to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality in 2050 and enhance the competitiveness of the Japanese battery industry, Japan released the “Growth Strategy” and planned the development goals for the Japanese battery industry.

Ideas and measures for the development of Japanese battery industry

So far, the Japanese battery industry has mainly invested in the development of all-solid-state battery technology, while the competitiveness of liquid lithium battery technology has been completely overtaken by Chinese and Korean companies. Before the application of all-solid-state lithium batteries, liquid lithium battery companies are at risk of being eliminated. Therefore, the industrial strategy sets specific development directions and ideas for the future Japanese battery industry.

In terms of global competitiveness, Japan also proposed the development direction of “enhancing global industrial competitiveness”. On the basis of existing battery technology, Japan will maintain and strengthen the level of competition in the global market and strategically expand overseas.

From the perspective of standardization and international influence, the global production capacity of Japanese battery manufacturers will increase from the current 60-70 GWh/year to 600 GWh/year in 2030, and the global market share will increase to 20%. In order to achieve the above development directions and goals, Japan’s industrial strategy has formulated seven specific actions to build and improve the ecological environment of Japan’s local battery industry.

Ideas and measures for the development of Japanese battery industry

Expand a package of policies for domestic battery materials manufacturing facilities.
Build a global battery industry alliance and global standards.
Ensure the safety of the upstream industry of the battery industry.
Develop next-generation battery technology.
Expand the Japanese local market.
Strengthen human resources guarantee.
Improve the environment for battery manufacturing and utilization in Japan.

Japan actively deploys battery technology research and development plan

Japan’s lithium battery industry developed earlier and is relatively mature. At present, there are leading enterprises in all industrial chains in the industry. The Japanese government has given long-term and stable support to the research and development of lithium-ion battery technology, especially in recent years, it has increased investment in research and development of solid-state batteries, making Japan account for 68% of international patents related to all-solid-state battery technology, ranking first in the world .

At present, four of the top five companies in the world for solid-state battery patents are Japanese companies. The energy density of the all-solid-state battery is close to twice that of the traditional lithium-ion battery, and it has excellent charging and discharging performance, which will further shorten the charging time. Battery costs can be kept lower due to the reduced usage of expensive raw materials.

At present, the practical use of small batteries for electronic products and the like is progressing, but large-scale automotive batteries are still in the stage of developing mass production technology. The second phase of the all-solid-state battery research and development plan will be carried out in the fiscal year 2018-2022 to develop high-performance electric vehicles with all-solid-state lithium-ion battery. The goal is to develop first-generation batteries and next-generation batteries.

Japan actively deploys battery technology research and development plan

The goal of the first generation battery is to develop and improve the battery performance and continuous process of existing materials, and finally verify the continuous process of 450Wh/L battery. The goal of next-generation batteries is to create high-energy-density batteries by increasing the capacity of materials in collaboration with collaborating research institutions.

Conclusion

In the face of the rapid development of Chinese batteries, the installed capacity and market share of Japanese companies are declining. Japanese battery companies and automobile companies are stepping up the layout of battery production capacity, especially increasing investment in research and development and industrialization of solid-state batteries.

The Japanese government actively supports the research and development of battery technology, pays special attention to the deployment of future battery technology, and focuses on the development of next-generation battery technology such as all-solid-state batteries. Through the commercialization of new battery technologies, we will enhance our global competitiveness in the battery field in the future.

Relying on the long-term investment of its government and enterprises in the field of all-solid-state battery technology, Japan has gained a clear advantage in the world. With the rapid development of battery technology, leading technology will help form the advantages of the industry.

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