Why are China's energy storage products so important?

Our insights reveal that Chinese manufacturers are likely to maintain their export advantage on energy storage products due to their high productivity and low costs. Elsewhere, factories outside of China still face various long construction cycles, slow production capacity ramp up, and unverified product quality.

Where does China's storage capacity come from?

The majority of China’s storage capacity comes from large-scale storage projects, such as hydropower with reservoirs on the Yangtze River and gigawatt-level battery energy storage systems in Inner Mongolia. Arial view of the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei province, China. Credit: Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

Which country has the most energy storage capacity?

2018 saw the greatest capacity additions to energy storage systems globally. South Korea alone deployed a combined utility-scale and behind-the-meter storage of 0.6 gigawatts in 2019, making up the greatest share among the leading four countries, followed by China and Germany at 0.5 gigawatts. Statista Accounts: Access All Statistics.

What is the primary source of energy in China?

As of 2017, coal remained the primary source of energy in China, accounting for over 60 percent of its energy mix. After declining for 3 straight years, China’s coal demand increased by 0.2 percent due to an especially cold winter and a natural gas shortage.

What is China's energy storage capacity?

China has total energy storage capacity of about 35 GW as of 2020, of which only 3.3 GW was new energy storage, according to the China Energy Storage Alliance.

How does China promote battery storage?

To promote battery storage, China has implemented a number of policies, most notably the gradual rollout since 2017 of the “mandatory allocation of energy storage” policy (强制配储政策), which is also known as the “ new energy plus storage ” model (新能源+储能).