Mitsubishi Research Institute and Hitachi Partner to Launch Advanced Power Trading Service for Extra-High-Voltage Grid-Scale-Battery Operators
Offering end-to-end assistance from preparing optimization to market trading to enhance success and company scalability
TOKYO, August 27, 2026 -(JCN Newswire) –Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (TSE:3636, “MRI”)and Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, “Hitachi”signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)on 25 August to develop a cooperative structure for providing sophisticated power-trading assistance services customized to grid-scale battery operators in the extra-high voltage section, consisting of brand-new market entrants. By incorporating MRI’s distributed-energy-resource operation-support service, MERSOL (MRI Energy Resource Solution), with Hitachi’s Power Trading System, presently under advancement, the business will develop a structure to provide a combined service: Power Trading Service (the Service)* 1.
By connecting MERSOL’s bid-planning optimization with Power Trading System’s market-trading assistance, the Service will offer incorporated, smooth assistance from automated quote preparing to real market deals. This combination makes it simpler for operators to bring advanced trading operations– traditionally contracted out to aggregators * 2– internal. This will make it possible for operators to simplify operations, record more profits, and quickly broaden throughout several battery-storage websites. Through the Service, MRI and Hitachi will assist grid-scale battery services enhance their success and scalability.
* 1 Scheduled for launch in 2027
* 2 Aggregators: Businesses that bundle and centrally control several distributed-energy resources to supply services such as power change and market trading on behalf of operators
Background
While renewable resource sees faster growth throughout Japan to attain the nation’s objective of carbon neutrality by 2050, handling the balance of supply and need to deal with variations in power generation stays a significant difficulty. In this context, grid-scale batteries– which charge throughout durations of surplus power and discharge throughout lacks– are a crucial resource for more combination of renewable resource.
For grid-scale battery services, protecting success relies greatly on tactical trading throughout several markets and items, such as the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX)* 3 and the Electric Power Reserve Exchange (EPRX)* 4. Carrying out these operations internal needs extremely specialized competence, from forecasting future market value and quote preparation that optimizes earnings, to sending strategies in stringent compliance with the Electricity Business Act and market guidelines. While numerous operators– particularly brand-new entrants– presently contract out these jobs to aggregators, there is a growing need to bring trading operations internal to build up functional knowledge internally, lower outsourcing expenses, and speed up decision-making.
Versus this background, MRI has actually leveraged its enduring know-how in power-market analysis and policy style to establish and run the MERSOL service, which utilizes exclusive algorithms to create ideal operation prepare for batteries. Hitachi– led by its Strategic SIB Business Unit, which drives brand-new development organizations– is establishing Power Trading System * 5. Constructed on Hitachi’s comprehensive IT and OT (functional innovation) competence in the power sector, Power Trading System is created to make complicated trading workflows more effective and innovative, varying from market trading based upon bidding strategies to the submission of grid-utilization strategies to the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators, JAPAN (OCCTO)* 6.
* 3 JEPX: The sole market for wholesale electrical power trading in Japan
* 4 EPRX: A market where basic electrical energy transmission and circulation energies acquire the stabilizing capability (power) needed to keep the balance in between electrical energy supply and need
* 5 Power Trading System includes a versatile architecture that permits combination with external planning-optimization services, making it possible for tailored service connection customized to private consumer requirements.
* 6 OCCTO: A government-authorized company that promotes and manages the across the country coordination of electrical power supply and need, in addition to the wide-area operation of transmission and circulation grids
Cooperation Details and Value Proposition
Through this cooperation, MRI and Hitachi will connect MERSOL and Power Trading System to construct a smooth system that effectively performs the whole trading workflow– from quote preparation to market trading and on-site control commands. Particularly, MERSOL will produce bidding strategies based upon market-price projections, consisting of the supply-and-demand change market. Using these strategies, Power Trading System will assist in market bidding and automate the generation and submission of needed strategies to OCCTO based upon agreement * 7 outcomes, thus simplifying operators’ workflows.
By providing these services as an incorporated option, the collaboration will bring operators worth in 2 main methods:
1. Boosted Profitability
The Service assists operators safe and secure steady returns and broaden earnings chances by carrying out power trading based upon extremely precise market-price projections and enhanced bidding strategies. By improving workflows through system automation, it likewise smooths the shift for operators wanting to handle trading internally. This shift decreases contracting out charges, makes it possible for business to build up important functional proficiency, and speeds up internal decision-making to take advantage of market chances right away. Eventually, this drives improvements in operations and higher total competitiveness.
2. Scaling Business Operations
A standardized system architecture makes it basic to scale operations throughout numerous tasks without constructing a custom-made setup from scratch for each battery-storage website. Operators brand-new to grid-scale battery organization can especially take advantage of the automation and optimization of preparation activities and daily operations, even putting internal trading into reach. The service makes it possible for little groups to handle operations throughout numerous battery storage websites, removes reliance on particular people, and guarantees that understanding is standardized instead of siloed. As an outcome, operators can keep steady, smooth operations even when developing brand-new battery storage websites, adding to versatile and sustainable organization development.
* 7 Contract: The effective conclusion of a deal when a purchaser and seller settle on a cost
Future Outlook
Beginning in 2027, MRI and Hitachi will develop a structure to provide the Service. Furthermore, both business will establish a collective structure to equally propose and provide their particular systems (MERSOL and Power Trading System) as standalone options. Through this cooperation, both partners intend to support the adoption and development of the grid-scale battery organization, adding to recognizing a sustainable, carbon-neutral society.
MRI prepares to continue to upgrade MERSOL in action with electricity-market changes and regulative modifications, assisting battery organizations enhance success and long-lasting predictability.
Hitachi intends to broaden its IT and OT combination know-how cultivated in the battery sector to flawlessly link electrical energy markets with different customers, consisting of information centers, eventually developing the energy facilities that will underpin next-generation green change (GX).
About Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.
Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. is among Japan’s primary think tanks. For over 50 years, it has actually supplied the general public and economic sectors with research study and consulting services in fields covering energy, the environment, health care, personnels, and digital change. This is accompanied by policy suggestions and the real-world application of options. Mitsubishi Research Institute will continue to imagine the future, solve social problems, and lead modification to construct a sustainable and flourishing world. For additional information, please check out: www.mri.co.jp/en/
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that unites IT, OT (Operational Technology), and items, Hitachi intends to be an international leader in constantly changing social facilities through digital, adding to a balanced society where the environment, wellness, and financial development remain in balance.
Hitachi runs around the world throughout 4 sectors– Digital Systems & & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries– along with a Strategic SIB Business Unit concentrated on brand-new development locations. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi develops worth by integrating information, innovation and domain understanding to resolve consumer and social obstacles.
Earnings for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) amounted to 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 combined subsidiaries and roughly 290,000 staff members worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.