SoftBank announced plans to manufacture its own zinc-halogen batteries using water-based electrolytes. The batteries will be produced at the company's Sakai facility in Osaka. The site is a former Sharp LCD panel factory that is being converted into an AI data center and GX/AX Factory.
Partners with South Korean startups for production
The batteries use a water-based electrolyte, which SoftBank says eliminates ignition risk. Each standard 20-foot container can hold 5.37 MWh of energy. SoftBank is partnering with South Korean startups Cosmos Lab and DeltaX for the project.
Specifications
- Electrolyte: water-based
- Cell type: zinc-halogen
- Container energy density: 5.37 MWh per 20-foot container
SoftBank targets gigawatt-hour-scale production by the fiscal year ending March 2028. The battery unit is expected to generate over 100 billion JPY (about $636,336,392) in annual revenue by fiscal 2030.
SoftBank says the technology reduces dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains for lithium and cobalt. The company is positioning the batteries for use in AI data centers, which require large-scale energy storage.
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