Percentage of Naypyidaw s export energy storage companies

In the first three quarters of 2024, newly operational non-hydro energy storage installations reached 20.67 GW/50.72 GWh, representing year-on-year growth of 69% in power capacity and 99% in energy capacity.

Mainland China accounts for most of the global energy storage demand, driven in the near term by regional requirements for new utility-scale wind and solar projects to include energy storage capacity. However, the Chinese market is entering an era of change.

Globally, energy storage project development is increasingly driven by the utility-scale segment, with mandates and targeted auctions driving gigawatt-hour projects in markets like China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Australia and Chile.

In the first three quarters, the average bid price for domestic non-hydro energy storage systems (0.5C lithium iron phosphate systems) was 622.90 RMB/kWh, a year-on-year decline of 50%. While bid prices remained relatively stable in the first half of the year, they reached a historic low of 578.11 RMB/kWh in Q3, particularly in September.

For energy storage, the new Chinese policy emphasized the need to remove energy storage as a prerequisite for renewable energy project grid connection, a requirement that has been a major driver for battery build. Nonetheless, BNEF still expects strong demand for batteries, as the policy doesn't explicitly require mandates to stop.

The share of pumped hydro storage in the total installed capacity fell below 50% for the first time. Among these, the cumulative installed capacity of non-hydro energy storage surpassed 50 GW for the first time, reaching 55.18 GW/125.18 GWh. Power capacity grew by 119% year-on-year, while energy capacity surged by 244% year-on-year.