Mazda Adds Solar and Battery Storage at Two Japan Sites
Mazda will add on-site solar generation at two operations in Hiroshima Prefecture, pairing one installation with a battery energy-storage system built around new automotive lithium-ion batteries.
The automaker announced the projects on October 30, 2026, as part of its stated goal of making its global manufacturing facilities carbon-neutral by 2035. Power supply is scheduled to begin in November at the new Mazda KD Center and in December at the Miyoshi Plant and Miyoshi Safety Testing Laboratory.
Two installations with different roles
ORIX Corporation will own and operate the solar equipment under on-site power purchase agreements. Under that structure, the energy provider installs generating equipment on Mazda property and sells the electricity and its associated environmental value to the customer.
- Mazda KD Center: 2.2 megawatts of solar capacity, with estimated first-year generation of 2.6 gigawatt-hours and power supply scheduled to start in November 2026.
- Miyoshi Plant and Safety Testing Laboratory: 0.8 megawatts of solar capacity, estimated first-year generation of 0.9 gigawatt-hours and a December 2026 start.
The larger KD Center installation includes a regional arrangement with steel-sheet manufacturer Toyo Kohan. Mazda says Toyo Kohan will use the environmental value tied to surplus electricity, extending the renewable-energy benefit beyond Mazda’s own operations and into the local supply chain.
New automotive batteries become stationary storage
The Miyoshi project adds what Mazda calls the Mazda Battery Station Miyoshi. Excess solar generation will be stored in a system using new automotive lithium-ion batteries, then discharged when demand is higher. Mazda says this should increase the amount of solar energy consumed on site and reduce peaks in electricity demand.
The announcement does not identify the battery supplier, cell chemistry, storage capacity, maximum discharge output or expected service life. It also does not say the batteries are reused vehicle packs; Mazda specifically describes them as new automotive lithium-ion batteries. Claims about demand reduction and more effective use of surplus generation are Mazda’s expectations for the system, not independently measured results.
That distinction matters because the project is an industrial energy installation rather than a new electric vehicle or a consumer charging product. Its automotive connection is the use of vehicle-grade battery technology inside a stationary storage system supporting Mazda facilities.
How the plan fits Mazda’s manufacturing strategy
Mazda says its carbon-neutral manufacturing work rests on three areas: conserving energy, shifting to renewable electricity and introducing carbon-neutral fuels. The two new solar projects address the second area, while the Miyoshi battery station is intended to make intermittent solar output more usable during the working day.
The figures are meaningful but limited in scope. Mazda disclosed expected annual generation rather than the sites’ total electricity consumption, so the release does not establish what share of either facility’s demand the new systems will cover. It also provides no investment cost or forecast carbon-dioxide reduction.
The approach complements Mazda’s efforts to change how vehicles are built. Chiefs Review previously reported on the company’s plan to cut CX-5 wire-harness variants by 80%, an initiative aimed at simplifying production and strengthening the supply chain. Mazda is also preparing new products, including the 2027 CX-5 with standard all-wheel drive.
Featured image: Mazda Battery Station Miyoshi. Official Mazda newsroom image supplied for journalistic editorial use; view the original release and usage terms.
Source
Mazda Motor Corporation: renewable-energy expansion through regional collaboration, October 30, 2026.