SoftBank to manufacture its own batteries with water-based tech to power AI data centers — targets gigawatt-hour-scale production by 2028

SoftBank said it will make zinc-halogen battery cells and storage systems at its Sakai plant in Osaka with startups Cosmos Lab and DeltaX.

The batteries use water-based electrolytes, which SoftBank says can improve safety and reduce thermal runaway risk compared with lithium-ion.

The company aims for gigawatt-hour-scale production by fiscal 2028 and more than ¥100 billion in annual revenue by fiscal 2030.

The move gives SoftBank a more vertically integrated power source for AI data centers and reduces dependence on existing battery supply chains.