The 2026 World Energy Storage Conference runs from Wednesday to Friday in Ningde City, east China's Fujian Province, bringing together participants to discuss cutting-edge technologies, prospects for the energy storage industry, and China's position in the global energy storage market.

In 2025, global annual battery storage additions hit roughly 307 GWh, with China accounting for 56 percent.

The scale of deployment in China has become central to the global storage market and is "helping to change the economics of renewable electricity," said Ilina Stefanova, head of the Coalition for Action at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), at the opening ceremony.

China's experience in technology, manufacturing, deployment and grid integration will matter not only domestically, but also for the global energy transition, she added.

As renewables become a major energy source worldwide, storage is evolving from a supporting facility into essential new infrastructure for power systems. It must meet diverse grid demands while continuously improving reliability and stability, said Zeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of China's leading battery manufacturer CATL, which is based in Ningde City.

Industry figures show China is responding to these demands.

China's new-type storage industry has achieved notable results, said Xiong Jijun, vice minister of industry and information technology, in the opening speech. China's storage battery output exceeded 420 GWh in the first half of 2026, up about 110 percent year on year. The industry is advancing along multiple technological routes, with lithium batteries playing a leading role alongside sodium-ion and flow batteries.

The government will balance development and safety, strengthen technological innovation, adhere to demand-driven principles and foster a global industrial ecosystem, while firmly guarding against rat race competition and guiding the industry from scale expansion toward innovation-led growth, Xiong added.

Ningde City has hosted the conference three times previously, an event that has attracted representatives from governments, industries and academia in over 50 countries and regions.