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Kansai Electric to Build One of Japan's Largest Battery Storage Plants

OSAKA - Kansai Electric Power announced plans to construct one of Japan's largest battery storage facilities on the former site of the Tanagawa Power Station in Misaki Town, Osaka Prefecture, in an effort to stabilize the supply of renewable energy.

The facility will temporarily store electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar power, making it possible to release stored energy when supply is low. Once operational, it will have the capacity to provide enough electricity to cover the daily needs of approximately 46,000 households.

As Japan pushes to reduce reliance on thermal power and accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, a major challenge has emerged: output from renewables fluctuates significantly with weather conditions. This has created growing demand for storage solutions that can regulate power supply and ensure grid stability.

Construction of the facility is set to begin in June, with operations scheduled to commence in February 2028.

Source: KTV NEWS

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Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

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