GS Yuasa is a leading manufacturer and distributor of energy storage solutions which has been serving various industries for decades prior to its final merger back in 2004. The company has been supplying mobile network operators with its solutions and is now actively doing business with independent towercos and ESCOs. In this exclusive interview, GS Yuasa’s General Manager, Mr. Keigo Hayashi, shares his views and insights on the dynamics of the energy business and how the company can support green targets as well as cost reduction initiatives.
TowerXchange: Tell us about GS Yuasa.
Keigo Hayashi, General Manager, Industrial Battery Department, Marketing Division, International Business Unit, GS Yuasa:
GS Yuasa is a Japanese company formed in 2004 by the merger of two large, 100-year old battery manufacturers; Japan Storage Battery Co., Ltd., known as GS, and Yuasa Corporation. At US$3.5 billion in sales, GS Yuasa is currently one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers.GS Yuasa manufactures a full line of technologies including lithium ion, lead acid, nickel metal hydride, and nickel cadmium for the automotive, industrial, telecommunications and specialty battery markets. With thirty-six affiliates in sixteen countries, GS Yuasa has a worldwide presence operating under the GS Yuasa, GS, and Yuasa brands.
TowerXchange: What is the advantages of lithium ion batteries and how does the product address the environmental issues in markets where green initiatives are flourishing?
Keigo Hayashi, General Manager, Industrial Battery Department, Marketing Division, International Business Unit, GS Yuasa:
Our new lithium ion products have cutting edge performance, which allows us to offer new approaches to energy storage that were not previously feasible. The lithium ion battery has especially superior characteristics for cyclic life performance, quick charging and deep discharging and is attracting a huge amount of interest from MNOs as well as towercos, who use lithium ion batteries as a core power component for the telecom base stations in areas with poor electricity networks.
Our batteries are usually deployed as components of larger systems. Their use in the power delivery system of a telecom base station is a typical example. We believe that the environmental impact of our products should be evaluated as part of the whole assessment of a particular application, rather than a narrow definition of battery production and disposal impacts. In off-grid and unreliable grid scenarios, the choice of battery can strongly influence the selection of the primary energy source. Our lithium ion technology is allowing our clients to avoid utilising any fossil fuel based solution thanks to its high charge acceptance and long cycle life at elevated temperatures. In some sites we are able to avoid the deployment of diesel generators altogether by harnessing intermittent grid supplies or renewable power sources more effectively. Having an overall cost benefit, in addition to environmental advantages, generally helps promoting green initiatives. Luckily this isn’t hard when diesel generators are involved!
TowerXchange: Who are your key clients and which products are they showing interest in the most?
Keigo Hayashi, General Manager, Industrial Battery Department, Marketing Division, International Business Unit, GS Yuasa:
Our key clients in the telecommunications sector are mobile network operators who own telecom towers to whom we have been supplying batteries for many years. As for the footprint of lithium ion batteries, we have installed the batteries for 25 customers over 18 countries. In Africa, we have upplied into four countries and are intending to expand this number.
Recently, towercos and ESCOs, who have started managing passive equipment including batteries, are becoming a very relevant part of our business. We are aware that the independent towerco model is widely accepted in developing countries, where the need for cell site densification and extension is urgent and capex intensive.
In terms of customers’ requirements, we experience a variety of scenarios. Although our principal service is to supply batteries for site backup, the choice of product depends on a combination of factors, including peripheral devices, renewable generation, remote monitoring, electricity condition and grid stability.GS Yuasa is a well established battery manufacturer with exceptional experience of supporting new applications. It is our strength to have a wide lineup of products such as long life VRLA, advanced VRLA with superior cyclic life performance and lithium ion batteries.
TowerXchange: What is the concept of the new “Dual Chemical System” product?
Keigo Hayashi, General Manager, Industrial Battery Department, Marketing Division, International Business Unit, GS Yuasa:
“Dual Chemical system” is a product designed to use lead acid batteries and lithium ion batteries in the same site. The aim of developing the system is to eliminate generators at unreliable grid sites.
In an unreliable grid site, there are both short periods of blackout and long periods of blackout. For example, daily blackout can be 1-2 hours/ cycle, occurring 8 - 10 times per day and once in a every few months, 15 – 20 hours of blackout occurs.
With the Dual Chemical System, LiB takes care of the short period and lead acid batteries are used for the long periods of blackout. Therefore, sizing of LiB is much more compact than using pure LiB solutions since you do not have to worry about the long blackout period. In addition to it, the life of lead acid batteries will be extended due to the decreased number of cycles.
By optimising the performance of both lead acid batteries and lithium ion batteries, we believe the equipment will finally achieve the goal of running sites without generators in unreliable grid areas
By optimising the performance of both lead acid batteries and lithium ion batteries, we believe the equipment will finally achieve the goal of running sites without generators in unreliable grid areas.
TowerXchange: What are the unique features of the Dual Chemical System?
Keigo Hayashi, General Manager, Industrial Battery Department, Marketing Division, International Business Unit, GS Yuasa:
One of the unique features of the product is that the system is compatible with any existing equipment. The system consists of a protection circuit and an additional small rectifier, an existing rectifier is used for charging lithium ion batteries and the small rectifier is used for charging lead acid batteries. The existing rectifier quickly charges lithium ion batteries and the small one charges lead acid batteries over 1 – 2 days. The lead acid batteries are used only occasionally so that they can be charged gradually.
The other unique point is that we, GS Yuasa, are the only company that manufacturers both top-of-the-line lead acid batteries and lithium ion batteries in the world. It is not only the product that gives us a competitive advantage, but the experience of manufacturing batteries and serving the telecom industry for more than 100 years; this enables us to propose battery solutions satisfying various customers’ needs.
GS Yuasa will be exhibiting at the 5th Annual TowerXchange Meetup Africa & Middle East, being held on 3-4 October at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. For more information please click here.
