On October 15, at the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference, CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun stated that energy storage is gradually transforming from a supporting facility for renewable energy into an indispensable new-type infrastructure for the power system.

According to SNE Research data, in the first half of this year, global lithium-ion energy storage battery shipments reached 461.3GWh, a year-on-year increase of 71%; markets outside China accounted for 56% of the total, exceeding half for the first time.

Zeng Yuqun proposed that the energy storage industry needs to strengthen three capabilities: first, building whole-station-level solutions oriented toward diversified grid demands; second, adhering to fundamental innovation to enhance technical response capabilities in complex scenarios; third, moving from component-level testing toward systematic, scenario-based verification to validate the long-term reliability of large-scale energy storage stations.

He noted that over the past decade or so, clean energy installations have continued to expand, and grid stability has faced increasing challenges. Meanwhile, as industry and transportation accelerate electrification and new loads such as AI data centers (AIDC) grow rapidly, higher requirements have been placed on power supply reliability and grid regulation capabilities.

"Even in China, there have been situations where surging AIDC loads nearly caused grid fluctuations or even paralysis," he said.

AI training centers have unique electricity consumption characteristics. A document released by the U.S. Department of Energy in May this year pointed out that large numbers of chips operate in tightly coordinated cycles, creating repeated load fluctuations, some of which may interfere with nearby power plant equipment and affect grid reliability.

According to Zeng Yuqun, in response to such highly dynamic loads, CATL achieves millisecond-level precise response through the coordination of high-power battery cells and intelligent control systems.

Energy storage capacity determines how much electricity can be stored, but keeping up with rapid load changes also requires the coordinated operation of battery cells, control systems, and power electronics equipment.

Overseas, different regions have significantly different requirements for energy storage. According to Zeng Yuqun's analysis, Europe needs more flexibility resources, U.S. computing centers urgently need highly reliable power supply, and some grids in Africa and Southeast Asia need energy storage to take on the responsibility of stabilizing the grid. He proposed that companies need to deeply understand the grid, promote the coordination of power electronics and intelligent control technologies, and conduct overall optimization of power station operations and maintenance.

Climatic conditions also affect battery selection. Zeng Yuqun mentioned that high-temperature regions require better thermal stability, while cold regions require higher capacity retention. "These challenges, ultimately, still need to be solved through fundamental innovation in materials and electrochemical systems."

According to him, CATL insists on parallel development of multiple technologies and routes, promoting the complementary coordination of sodium batteries and lithium batteries, leveraging sodium batteries' low-temperature performance and resource advantages to address different needs.

Zeng Yuqun also advocated expanding the scope of energy storage verification from components to entire power stations. He pointed out that large-scale energy storage stations are complex systems, and components meeting standards does not necessarily mean they can operate reliably over the long term after integration.

CATL has already built a dedicated verification platform for this purpose. In May this year, the Verification Energy Storage Technology Research Institute, jointly established by the Xiamen municipal government and CATL, was launched, with a planned total investment of approximately 3 billion yuan, featuring laboratories for grid connection adaptability, high-voltage safety, thermal safety and combustion, electromagnetic compatibility, and environmental adaptability. The institute has been opened to the entire industry. According to Zeng Yuqun's introduction at this conference, the institute has conducted systematic verification on 32 projects globally, involving battery capacity exceeding 16GWh.