Is China entering a new era of energy storage demand?

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.

How does energy storage affect electricity demand?

Storage can reduce demand for electricity from inefficient, polluting plants that are often located in low-income and marginalized communities. It can also help smooth out demand, avoiding price spikes for electricity customers. The electricity grid is a complex system in which power supply and demand must be equal at any given moment.

How much energy do shipping containers require?

The resulting energies, ranging from 3 million to 10 million electron volts and coupled with 1 kW to 50 kW of power, have sufficient energy to penetrate most products in their final shipping containers.

What drives energy storage project development?

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.

Should energy storage be removed from energy grid connection?

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.

Does BNEF still expect a strong demand for batteries?

Nonetheless, BNEF still expects strong demand for batteries, as the policy doesn’t explicitly require mandates to stop. Since the policy announcement, some provinces across China have continued to announce mandates stipulating that new solar and wind projects must be paired with batteries.