In 2026, the development trend of China's energy storage industry will be rapid, with a rapid increase in installed capacity and the emergence of various new technologies. This not only provides strong support for the development and utilization of new energy, but also further enhances the guarantee capability of power supply. On May 16, 2026, China's first independently developed pumped storage variable speed unit started electrical installation work in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. This variable speed unit can accurately regulate the pumping rate and utilize the electricity generated by new energy to store 280000 cubic meters of water in a reservoir per hour. When the demand for electricity increases, it can then be converted into green electricity.

Since the beginning of 2026, with the continuous and rapid growth of new energy installed capacity, the construction pace of pumped storage projects in China has been accelerating. As of the end of March 2026, the installed capacity of pumped storage in operation in China has reached 67.09 million kilowatts; In the first quarter of 2026, the power generation of pumped storage units in China reached 21.4 billion kilowatt hours, an increase of 12.8% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, China's new energy storage construction is also entering a period of accelerated development. In Huai'an, Jiangsu, the world's largest compressed air energy storage power station, Unit 2, is currently in the debugging stage before being integrated into the power grid and is about to be put into use.

As of the end of March, the installed capacity of new energy storage systems that have been put into operation nationwide has exceeded 140 million kilowatts. While the installed capacity is steadily increasing, new energy storage technologies are also continuously iterating and upgrading. At present, lithium-ion battery energy storage has entered the stage of large-scale commercial application, with its installed capacity accounting for over 96%; A number of disruptive cutting-edge technologies such as solid-state batteries and hydrogen energy storage are accelerating breakthroughs and steadily developing. New energy storage is gradually becoming an indispensable force in promoting the development and utilization of new energy, strengthening the ability to ensure power supply, and other aspects.Editor/Gong Ziwei