Another Japanese Zaibatsu NEC Plans a Major Foray in the Green Industry

Conglomerates across the world have started signaling their attention to become big players in the Green Industry which is predicted to be one of the biggest in the coming decade.Samsung has planned a massive $21 billion spending over the next decade while Toshiba is entering into the Energy Storage Area. NEC a Japanese Zaibatsu which has seen its revenues and margins erode over the last few years is planning a major foray in the Green space as well. The Lithium Battery market has become crowded with a startups and established companies vying for marketshare in this nascent market.Japanese companies have started becoming aggressive in the Green Industry as can be seen from the list below

1. Panasonic with the acquisition of Sanyo has a large marketshare in the  Solar and Battery segments
2. Sharp is the 2nd largest producer of solar modules and is expecting 50% growth in 2010
3. Toshiba plans to make batteries for electric vehicles.Its already one of world’s top 3 producers of nuclear reactors
4. Kyocera is a big solar players as well and planning major expansion as well
5. Mitsubishi remains a bit player . However is involved in making poysilicon and solar panels

Japanese automakers also have been at the forefront of innovation in Clean Transportation with Toshiba leading the way with its iconic hybrid Prius.Nissan’s Leaf is supposed to be one of the best new electric vehicles with Honda also firming up its plan in the PHEV segment

NEC to Invest 100 Billion Yen in Energy, Batteries – Bloomberg

NEC Corp. said investments in its energy business will reach $1.1 billion over the next eight years, as Japan’s biggest maker of personal computers aims to reinvent itself after a decade-long slide in sales.Spending on factories that make parts for batteries supplied to Nissan Motor Co. and smart-grid equipment will rise to 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) by the year ending March 2018, including 50 billion yen this year announced earlier, President Nobuhiro Endo said in an interview yesterday at the company’s Tokyo headquarters.

Growing Battery Market

The global market for lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars will grow to 1.7 trillion yen in 2020 from “almost nothing” in 2009, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. wrote in a March report.The company forecasts annual sales from its energy business will reach 100 billion in the year ending March 2013; revenue will triple in the five years after that, as the company expands its list of battery customers.

NEC will also look to buoy sales by introducing a handheld tablet similar to Apple Inc.’s iPad in October, Endo said. In the next three years, the company plans to sell 1 million units of the device designed jointly with Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Co., which will merge with an NEC unit in June.