Storage Batteries as a Key Device for Solving the Global Warming Issue—Team-based Research for Development of Rechargeable Batteries in the Green Technologies for Excellence (GteX) Program—

The Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions was increasingly recognized in the world, and international congresses have been held to discuss what we in the world should do against the critical issue.With the restriction targets set, various Japanese ministries and agencies are creating programs to achieve them.The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) are creating programs to develop specific devices based on natural science theories established in academia.As for developing storage batteries, they launched ALCA-SPRING program where the first team-based research on storage batteries with a top-down approach was conducted.Learning from the success of the ALCA-SPRING program, GteX program was created based on the similar concept.In the battery area of GteX program, there are eight teams that are Advanced Lithium-ion batteries team, Sulfide-based Solid-State batteries team, Oxidebased Solid-State batteries team, Sodium-ion batteries team, Magnesium batteries team, Lithium-sulfur batteries team, Lithium-air batteries team, and Battery Research Platform team.In this program, active research works are underway to significantly improved existing storage batteries and to create next-generation batteries.