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.

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 many GW of storage will China have in 2025?

Investment tax credits under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) unlocked 11.9 GW of storage additions in 2024 and a pipeline of 18.2 GW for 2025. Similar momentum stems from the EU Renewable Energy Directive III, which mandates higher renewables penetration, and China’s long-duration storage targets that foster flow-battery innovation.

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.