Press Release

Press Release

Continued implementation of the VPP V2G Aggregator Demonstrator Project using EV batteries ~ Taking the next step to EV batteries to V2G demonstration~

June 05, 2019
Toyota Tsusho Corporation
Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc.

Toyota Tsusho Corporation (hereinafter "Toyota Tsusho") and Chubu Electric Power Company (hereinafter "Chuden") are commencing a V2G(Note2) Aggregator Project after jointly and successfully applying for the Project, which is one of the categories in the "FY2019 Virtual Power Plant(Note1) Construction Demonstration Project That Utilizes Demand-side Energy Resources," a grant program offered by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy under the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The move follows a decision to issue the grant, made on May 30, 2019, by the grant program's grant distribution body, the Sustainable Open Innovation Initiative (SII). This is the second year the two companies have conducted the project, following on from last year.

V2G is a technology that uses electric vehicles' on-board batteries to offer "adjustment capacity" for mitigating the impact of electricity output fluctuations in power generation using renewable energies (hereinafter "renewable power") and "shift in supply capacity" by storing surplus renewable power and releasing it at periods of greater electricity needs. The technology is expected to resolve challenges involved in using renewable power.

Last fiscal year, the project developed a V2G control system and assessed its impact of charging EV's batteries as well as discharging them to feed power to the grid.

This fiscal year, a trial server for supply - demand adjustment(Note3) will be added to the V2G control system, developed last year, to establish a demonstration environment that assumes a supply - demand adjustment command from Chuden. Furthermore, EVs regularly used for commuting and business will be incorporated to the demonstration project, so as to simulate conditions closer to real-life environment. It is also planned to provide EV users with a smartphone app for entering their scheduled time of vehicle use so that V2G testing is carried out while the vehicles are not in use.

Toyota Tsusho is building a V2G control system (based on Nuvve Corporation's(Note5) V2G system) as an aggregator(Note4) to create new values for EVs, e.g. offering adjustment capacity to the power grid and facilitating a shift in renewal power supply.

Chuden is assessing the impact of V2G on the power grid from the standpoint of a General Electricity Transmission and Distribution Utility to contribute to enhancing technologies that will lead to securing new adjustment capacity, thereby achieving safe, affordable and stable delivery of electricity.

(Note1) A mechanism that links power generation facilities using solar and other renewable energies, energy storage systems, etc. at general households, factories and other sites to make them function like single power plant

(Note2) Technology that uses the on-board batteries of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV / PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV) to charge and discharge stored electricity into the power grid

(Note3) Testing equipment that allows General Electricity Transmission and Distribution Utilities to send adjustment commands to individual aggregators so as to use V2G for supply - demand adjustment to maintain constant grid frequency (50Hz / 60Hz)

(Note4) Business that uses energy resources to offer services to electricity generation utilities, General Electricity Transmission and Distribution Utilities and electricity retailers

(Note5) U.S. venture that conducts V2G business in Europe, Asia and the United States. It offers frequency regulation capability in countries around the world, resulting in the world's first successful commercial V2G application in Denmark in 2016. Toyota Tsusho made equity participation in the venture in December 2017.

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