SoftBank plans large-scale battery cell manufacturing for AI power demand
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 11
SoftBank plans large-scale battery cell manufacturing for AI power demand
15 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 11
At its Sakai plant in Osaka, SoftBank will work with South Korea's Cosmos Lab and DeltaX to start mass production in the fiscal year beginning next April.
The project targets energy storage system output of one gigawatt-hour a year, which BloombergNEF data indicates would rank the facility among Japan's largest.
SoftBank said the move is intended to meet rising electricity needs from AI services, and Bloomberg News reported last month the site could eventually expand to several gigawatt-hours.
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SoftBank Bets Big: $630M Osaka Battery Plant to Fuel Japan’s Largest AI Data Center and Lead Zinc-Halogen Shift
Overview
SoftBank is making a bold move by transforming its Osaka Sakai LCD plant, acquired from Sharp in 2025, into one of Japan’s largest battery production lines. This new facility will produce batteries to power SoftBank’s own AI data centers, marking a strategic shift toward integrating energy production with computing infrastructure. The project aims to bring large-scale battery manufacturing online by May 2031, supporting the company’s vision for energy independence and operational resilience. By combining battery production and AI data centers at a single site, SoftBank is setting a new standard for self-sufficient, future-ready technology infrastructure.