Japan's Lithium Battery Submarines Becoming Operational

Derek Woolner and David Glynne Jones have kindly provided information that Lithium-ion Battery (LIB) submarines are now becoming operational. This is with the commissioning of Japan's Soryu-class JS Oryu on 5 March 2020 and JS Toryu 24 March 2021. Derek and David have also put together new details of Japan’s Taigei-class LIB subs. Pete has  summarised the info Derek and David have sent. 

NOTE: 

1. All references to subs below apply to naval subs of many 100s of tons (ie. not tourist or scientific minisubs or SEAL/diver delivery vehicles).

2. Info below without [...] brackets is by Derek and David from published sources. The parts in [...] brackets are by Pete. 

3. Japan's efforts are the first of three instalments on LIBs Becoming Operational. 

After more than 100 years of lead-acid battery (LAB) use LIBs for submarine have been under development since the early 2000s. This has occurred at uneven rates between countries/companies with Japan at the forefront. LIB submarines are now becoming operational and it is expected that by the early 2030s more than 30 LIB subs could be operating in the Indo-Pacific. It is also expected that many autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) (often synonymous with unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs)) will use LIBs in the Indo-Pacific.

First-generation LIB subs will typically have submerged patrol endurance about twice that of LAB subs and around 3 times the submerged high speed endurance.

LIB tech is evolving rapidly and submarine planners expect that LIB capacities could double by 2030. This would provide submerged patrol endurance 4 times that of LAB subs and  around 5-6 times the submerged high speed endurance.

The substantial increases in stored energy provided by LIBs will also enable future subs to support more advanced sensor, combat and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) systems.

The following is public info on the current status of development and adoption of advanced battery systems for subs.

JAPAN’s LIB-EQUIPPED SUBS

Soryu [Mark 2]-class

The two final Soryu-class subs [the Soryu Mark 2s] have LIBs and are now operational. They are.

- JS Oryu, commissioned on 5 March 2020, the world’s first operational LIB sub. All previous Soryus used LABs and Stirling air independent propulsion (AIP). Oryu is serving in the Japanese Navy’s Submarine Flotilla 1, at Kure naval base.  

- JS Toryu was commissioned on 24 March 2021.

[To see the incremental sequence of the subs, by many measures, see Pete and Anonymous'  "SORYU-TAIGEI TABLE" by scrolling down.]

Taigei-class

JS Taigei (first of class) was launched on 14 October 2020 and is scheduled to be commissioned in March 2022. While similar in general design to the Soryus class, the Taigei class subs will have more advanced systems [eg. combat systems and snorkel] and LIB capacity may be around 30% larger than the Oryu-Toryu Soryus. After commissioning, JS Taigei will be converted into a test submarine, to provide a dedicated operational and platform for accelerated research and development. [It will also aid in crew training and  familiarisation.]

Japan also has an unnamed Taigei-class sub (SS-514) [see Table below] being built. It was laid down on 25 January 2019, scheduled to be launched 2021 and commissioned in March 2023.

[Japan continues its tradition of building around 10 subs of each class.] So 10 Taigei-class LIB subs are planned (starting with JS Taigei and SS-514) with the 10th of class scheduled for commissioning in 2031. See here and here.

Derek Woolner is co-author of the classic (2008) [on Pete's bookshelf!] and still very relevant The Collins Class SubmarineStory: Steel, Spies and Spin . He is a previous Director of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Group in the Parliamentary Research Service.

David Glynne Jones is an independent advocate for the adoption of renewable energy technology across all sectors of the Australian economy. He is currently assessing the implications of emerging advanced battery technology for electrification of the Australian transport sector.

Their blog-website is Woolner and Jones.

Pete, Submarine Sherlock-like gentleman amateur, dabbles. Once in gov, many moons ago, kemosabes.
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SORYU-TAIGEI TABLE as at March 26, 2021. 

(also some old, but still operational, Oyashio-class details).

Table by Anonymous and Pete