TAIPEI, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Star Trade, an international energy services provider under the HDRE Group, today announced an official partnership with Japan's leading electricity retailer, Chubu Electric Power Miraiz (Chubu Miraiz), to initiate an energy storage collaboration that includes examining an expansion of capacity up to 300 MW, aimed at enhancing peak-hour electricity price stability. The project introduces an insurance-based hedging solution backed by large-scale battery storage, marking Star Trade's first overseas deployment of this product and its entry into the core of Japan's energy market.
Chubu Miraiz, Retail Electricity and Gas Supply Company of Chubu Electric Power Group (9502.JP), ranks among Japan's top three electricity retailers and supplies power to customers across mainly central Japan. The region is home to Japan's automotive and heavy manufacturing base, with a dense concentration of production and export-oriented enterprises. As a result, it is one of the country's most electricity-intensive and price-sensitive areas.
Chubu Miraiz procures a portion of its electricity from the JEPX spot market. As price volatility is particularly pronounced during evening peak periods, the need for effective price hedging solutions has been increasing. To address this challenge, Star Trade will provide a storage-backed peak price hedging solution, and is exploring an expansion of storage capacity up to 300 MW as part of this initiative.
The solution integrates real-time charge/discharge control with AI-powered price forecasting, enabling targeted hedging operations during periods of anticipated price spikes. By doing so, it allows Chubu Miraiz to mitigate spot market procurement, among other exposures, while allowing Star Trade to partially stabilize returns from its storage assets through structured agreements.
Star Trade is responsible for leading the transaction structure design and strategy execution, combining HDRE Group's energy storage infrastructure with its proprietary AI pricing models. The offering builds on a proven framework previously implemented by Star Trade in the Australian market and is now being successfully adapted for Japan.
The collaboration represents a key milestone for Star Trade, marking the company's first commercial deployment of an insurance-based energy solution in Japan and its first adoption by a corporate customer. Building on experience from international markets, the project highlights Star Trade's ability to integrate asset operations, pricing intelligence, and trading execution into a unified service framework.
Looking ahead, Star Trade plans to expand its participation in Japan's energy markets and strengthen its presence across the broader Asia-Pacific region. Through its proprietary Star Trade platform, the company aims to deliver scalable, replicable storage solutions that support utilities and enterprises in navigating energy price volatility and ensuring long-term supply stability.
SOURCE HD Renewable Energy
