After the cancellation of mandatory energy storage requirements under “Document No. 136,” how will new energy and energy storage achieve coordinated development? How will the value of energy storage be reconstructed? At the 10th Western China Energy Storage Forum, over 500 representatives from government, grid companies, research institutes, and industry chain enterprises engaged in in-depth discussions on these questions.

On August 19–20, 2025, the 10th Western China Energy Storage Forum was successfully held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. The forum was hosted by the China Energy Research Society, China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA), New Energy Storage Innovation Consortium of Central SOEs, Inner Mongolia Energy Storage Promotion Association, and Hohhot Industrial Innovation Research Institute, and co-hosted by CRRC Zhuzhou Institute, HyperStrong, and Kehua Digital Energy Tech Co., Ltd. The theme of the forum was “Market-Driven, Ecology-Enabled: Energy Storage Driving the Construction of a Green Energy System in Western China.” The opening ceremony and main forum were chaired by Xia Qing, Deputy Director of the Energy Storage Committee of the China Energy Research Society and Professor at Tsinghua University.

*Xia Qing, Deputy Director of the Energy Storage Committee of the China Energy Research Society, Professor at Tsinghua University*

Industry Leaders Gathered from Government, Industry, Academia, and Research

Shi Yubo, Chairman of the China Energy Research Society (online); Xu Ziming, Director of the Energy Efficiency and Energy Storage Division, Energy Conservation and Technological

Equipment Department, National Energy Administration; Ouyang Minggao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University; Haisheng Chen, Director of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Energy Storage Committee of the China Energy Research Society, and Chairman of the China Energy Storage Alliance; Wang Lixin, Deputy General Manager of Inner Mongolia Electric Power (Group) Co., Ltd.; Liu Guogang, Chairman and Party Secretary of China Southern Power Grid Energy Storage Co., Ltd.; Cai Changqing, Chairman of Inner Mongolia Beichen Think Tank Research Center; Cao Bin, Chairman of Inner Mongolia Daqingshan Laboratory Co., Ltd.; and Zheng Lina, Chairman of the Inner Mongolia Energy Storage Promotion Association.

Also, experts from the Energy Storage Committee of the China Energy Research Society: Zheng Yaodong, Honorary Director of the Major Energy Storage and New Energy Research Team of China Southern Power Grid; Pei Zheyi, Former Deputy Chief Engineer of the State Grid Dispatching and Control Center; Lai Xiaokang, Senior Expert at China Electric Power Research Institute; and Yue Jianhua, Former Deputy Chief Engineer of Inner Mongolia Electric Power (Group) and State Council Special Allowance Expert.

Meanwhile, Alliance Vice Chairmen: Yu Zhenhua, Executive Vice Chairman of China Energy Storage Alliance; Cui Jian, President of Kehua Digital Energy Tech Co., Ltd.; Liu Mingyi, Head of the Energy Storage Division at Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute; and Wang Xiaoli, General Manager of Rongke Power, were present in support.

Authoritative Voices: Rigid Demand and Policy Directions for New Energy Storage

Shi Yubo, Chairman of the China Energy Research Society, pointed out in his speech that the western region is a national energy strategic base. With more than 80% of wind and solar resources and vast land, it provides unique scenarios for the large-scale application of new energy storage. Currently, western energy storage policies are being intensively introduced, but development still faces challenges such as an imperfect power market mechanism, technological bottlenecks, and an underdeveloped standards system. To promote high-quality development, it is necessary to strengthen the dual drive of policy and market, accelerate the construction of spot markets, and expand ancillary service categories; emphasize both technological breakthroughs and scenario innovation, promoting demonstration applications in desert bases and zero-carbon parks; while at the same time building solid safety standards and risk prevention systems, and strengthening the intelligent operation and maintenance capacity of energy storage power stations. Energy storage is a key support for the energy revolution. It is necessary to pool the strength of industry, academia, research, and application, to provide a western model for the new energy system and contribute China’s solution.

Xu Ziming, Director of the Energy Efficiency and Energy Storage Division, Energy Conservation and Technological Equipment Department, National Energy Administration, pointed out in his speech that since the “14th Five-Year Plan,” new energy storage in China has experienced rapid development. Looking toward the “15th Five-Year Plan,” three key tasks will be emphasized: strengthening top-level design, preparing the “15th Five-Year Plan” implementation scheme for new energy storage, and promoting diverse applications in large-scale renewable energy bases, grid-replacement storage, zero-carbon parks, and green power direct connections; improving market mechanisms for new energy storage participation, accelerating comprehensive participation of energy storage in various market transactions, fully leveraging its multiple functions, and raising utilization levels; and promoting high-quality development of new energy storage, shifting from “competing on price” to “competing on value.” The construction of a new-type power system has rigid demand for new energy storage. Industry peers must strengthen confidence in development and strive to achieve the “three orientations.” Facing the frontiers of science and technology, actively carry out technological innovation in new energy storage; facing system requirements, guide industry development based on new-type power system construction needs; facing market mechanisms, proactively adapt to the development of new energy storage in the power market environment.

Technical Foresight: Academician Outlines Diversified Energy Storage Technology Roadmap

*Ouyang Minggao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor at Tsinghua University*

Ouyang Minggao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University, pointed out in his report that with the rapid rise of the share of renewable energy generation, the power system faces severe challenges, urgently requiring energy storage technologies to address the shortage of flexible resources. He proposed three major directions: Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): Lithium-ion batteries remain mainstream, and breakthroughs in safety are needed under the trend of large capacity and long lifespan. Smart batteries (chip + AI monitoring) and solid-state batteries can achieve breakthroughs, with the goal of reducing the cost of stored electricity to 0.1 RMB/Wh; V2G Energy Storage: The rapid growth of electric vehicles will drive the upgrade of charging modes, developing from disorderly charging to vehicle-to-grid interaction. Electric vehicles can participate in grid peak shaving when parked, realizing “valley charging and peak discharging”; Green Hydrogen Energy Storage: Wind and solar-based hydrogen production enables long-duration storage, with integrated heat recovery raising overall energy efficiency to 80%. Academician Ouyang emphasized that energy storage technology requires cross-disciplinary innovation integrating chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and thermal engineering, to promote multi-energy coupling of renewable energy systems and build a zero-carbon energy system ecosystem.

Power Grid Enterprises: From Large-Scale Construction to Efficient Operation

Wang Lixin, Deputy General Manager of Inner Mongolia Electric Power Group, pointed out in his report “Practical Breakthroughs and Future Prospects of Energy Storage Development in Inner Mongolia” that Inner Mongolia was the first in the country to introduce a ten-year long-term compensation mechanism, pioneering independent energy storage capacity compensation, providing an important guarantee for stable project revenue. In 2024, the power group took the lead in launching the construction of 600 MW of new energy storage in the autonomous region. In 2025, the group continues to advance energy storage construction, starting a new batch of projects to enhance system regulation capacity. Looking forward to the “15th Five-Year Plan,” the group will actively participate in diversified energy storage projects, continue to play the role of the Inner Mongolia Power Industry Innovation Alliance, and remain the main force in energy storage construction, fulfilling its political, social, and economic responsibilities as a state-owned enterprise.

*Zheng Yaodong, Honorary Director of the Major Energy Storage and Renewable Energy Research Team, China Southern Power Grid*

Zheng Yaodong, Honorary Director of the Major Energy Storage and Renewable Energy Research Team of China Southern Power Grid, emphasized in his report “Innovation Practices in New Energy Storage Technology of China Southern Power Grid” that among the seven grid-side energy storage power stations in operation for more than one year, except for the Baoqing Station used for research purposes, the operating levels of other stations were generally leading, with the highest actual annual operating hours exceeding 3,150 hours. Zheng Yaodong pointed out that operating performance directly affects economic benefits. China Southern Power Grid, upholding its responsibility as a central SOE, attaches great importance to plant operation and value mining. He also called on the industry to focus on revitalizing idle or underperforming plants. New energy storage must identify real demand and value positioning through market competition, and only by adhering to direct profitability can it truly achieve sustainable development.

Authoritative Release: Comprehensive Data and Development Trends of the New Energy Storage Industry

Haisheng Chen, Chairman of the China Energy Storage Alliance, delivered the report “Current Status and Trends of New Energy Storage Industry Development and Release of CNESA DataLink H1 2025 Energy Storage Data.” As of the first half of 2025, China’s cumulative installed capacity of new energy storage reached 101.3 GW, surpassing 100 GW for the first time, which is 32 times that of the end of the “13th Five-Year Plan.” In the first half of 2025, newly commissioned new energy storage reached 23.03 GW/56.12 GWh, with both power and energy scales up 68% year-on-year. Looking forward to the “15th Five-Year Plan,” energy storage will participate more deeply in the power market and upgrade to high-quality development. By 2030, cumulative installed capacity is expected to reach 236.1–291.2 GW. (For report details, see: CNESA Major Release on the 10th Western China Energy Storage Forum)

During the 10th Western China Energy Storage Forum, the first domestic monograph in the field of compressed air energy storage technology, Theories and Applications of Compressed Air Energy Storage, was also released. Published by Science Press and funded by the National Science and Technology Publishing Fund, this book embodies the collective wisdom and twenty years of research achievements of the compressed air energy storage team led by Professor Haisheng Chen.

Enterprise Strategy: Leading Companies Insight into Market Opportunities and Transformation Paths

*Wen Yuliang, Deputy General Manager and Chief Engineer, Integrated Energy Division, CRRC Zhuzhou Institute*

Wen Yuliang, Deputy General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Integrated Energy Division of CRRC Zhuzhou Institute, pointed out in his report “Energy Storage Value Innovation Driving Energy Transition and Sustainable Development” that value innovation in energy storage mainly focuses on deeply exploring application scenarios and breaking through technological pain points. With technological progress, energy storage applications are no longer limited to the power system but are widely integrated into data centers, metallurgy, mining, off-grid hydrogen production, and many other industries, showing a trend of diversified integration. At the technical level, safety remains the fundamental prerequisite for all innovation. On this basis, efforts should focus on enhancing the economy of energy storage by improving system efficiency and extending system life. Meanwhile, grid-forming energy storage, as a frontier direction of technological innovation, is expected to further penetrate the global energy storage market within the next five years. Finally, he emphasized that intelligent operation and maintenance and battery recycling technologies are key to achieving full life-cycle management of energy storage projects and promoting sustainable industry development.

Si Zheng, Vice President of HyperStrong, pointed out in her report “New Scenarios, New Opportunities: A New Cycle of High-Quality Development for the Energy Storage Industry” that with the cancellation of mandatory energy storage requirements under “Document No. 136,” the energy storage market will embrace two long-term opportunities: first, as new energy fully enters the market, energy storage, as a regulatory resource, can effectively smooth out grid fluctuations, driving a new round of market demand growth; second, with feed-in tariffs becoming market-driven, renewable energy generation companies will focus more on project operation and management. Energy storage, by enhancing the flexibility and stability of the power system, can help renewable energy projects generate greater returns in the power market and increase the certainty of revenues. In response to policy changes, HyperStrong is also undergoing a strategic transformation, shifting from “R&D + manufacturing” to “R&D + manufacturing + services,” opening up the full chain and developing full scenarios, and providing integrated energy services covering investment, development, construction, operation, and maintenance.

Practical Discussions in Sub-Forums: Seeking Realistic Paths for Market Mechanisms and Business Models

While the opening ceremony and main forum set a high-level tone, the concurrent series of sub-forums and closed-door meetings pushed the atmosphere toward more practical and precise exchanges, comprehensively focusing on key issues of industrialization and marketization of energy storage.

Sub-forums focused on common core topics of the industry: “New Energy Storage and the Power Market” directly addressed difficulties in mechanism building, exploring practices of energy storage market participation and revenue analysis; “Energy Storage Value Innovation and Solutions” focused on advanced energy storage technologies and solutions, exploring value innovation; “Exploration of Western Energy Storage Characteristic Markets” and “Generation-Grid-Load-Storage and Large Desert Base Construction” were closely aligned with western resource endowments, providing solutions for large base project development and intelligent operation.

Special seminars precisely targeted frontier application scenarios: “Zero-Carbon Park Development and Practice” explored green power supply, carbon accounting, and park-level storage dispatch models, responding to rigid demands of industrial low-carbon transition; “New Energy Storage Innovative Technologies and Applications” focused on technological iteration and product reliability, promoting joint efforts of industry, academia, and research; “Data Center Development and Practice” addressed the challenge of green energy use in digital infrastructure, exploring integrated design and operation paths of “energy storage + computing power.”

At the same time, a hydrogen energy sub-forum was held, discussing hydrogen energy applications in power, transportation, and industry; while a closed-door seminar on the economic operation of energy storage projects in Inner Mongolia focused on typical scenarios in the region, analyzing economic feasibility and commercialization paths.

After ten years of deep cultivation, the “Western China Energy Storage Forum” has grown into an important platform promoting coordinated development of new energy and energy storage in western China. This forum precisely analyzed the core challenges in market mechanisms, technical safety, and business models, and through in-depth dialogue among government, industry, academia, research, and application, successfully built consensus on development. These outcomes will strongly promote new energy storage to advance from “policy dependence” to a new stage of “value-driven” high-quality development, contributing solid western strength to China’s construction of a new energy system and realization of the “dual carbon” goals.