Demonstration Test Conducted for Disaster Response Solution Using Mobile Energy Storage Systems
Power Supply to the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital’s Mobile Hospital ‘Disaster Rescue’ Using a Mobile Energy Storage System
On May 8, 2025, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. ("Hitachi Construction Machinery"), Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. ("Kyushu Electric Power"), and the Disaster Management Research Institute, the Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing ("Japanese Red Cross DM Research Institute") conducted a demonstration test at the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital (Location: Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan) to develop disaster response solutions using mobile energy storage systems.
Hitachi Construction Machinery and Kyushu Electric Power jointly developed mobile energy storage systems for supplying power to electrically powered construction machinery operating at work sites, which were launched in Japan in September 2024. In addition to supplying power at work sites, mobile energy storage systems can also be used to charge electric vehicles (EVs) during normal times and serve as an emergency power source during disasters. Hitachi Construction Machinery is actively exploring broader applications for the system by utilizing these "phase-free" features that enable mobile energy storage systems to be used in both normal and emergency situations.
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011, the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital and the Kyushu Electric Power's Research Institute have conducted the demonstration tests on the effectiveness of lithium-ion power supply units both in the domestic and international relief operations.
In the recent demonstration test, which was conducted at the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital under simulated disaster conditions, a single unit of the mobile energy storage system was used to supply power to the lighting and medical equipment inside the mobile hospital. The system operated properly in the test, and measurements confirmed that the lighting and medical equipment could be used continuously for approximately seven days with the supplied power, demonstrating that one unit of the mobile energy storage system can provide sufficient electricity for the initial response immediately after a disaster. In situations requiring more power, multiple units of mobile energy storage systems can be combined to meet the demand.
Going forward, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Kyushu Electric Power, and the Japanese Red Cross DM Research Institute will continue to combine their respective expertise and technologies to develop practical solutions that are useful in times of disaster. Specifically, the organizations aim to develop effective relief capabilities by utilizing the nationwide network that Hitachi Construction Machinery has built through sales, service activities, and disaster cooperation agreements with local governments, in conjunction with Kyushu Electric Power's energy management technologies and capabilities in disaster relief equipment development, and the Japanese Red Cross DM Research Institute's expertise and technology in disaster response operations.
