In the first half of 2026, the global shipment of energy storage cells exceeded institutional expectations one after another, and statistical data from multiple leading research institutions collectively point to a clear signal: the growth logic of the global energy storage industry has completely switched. Behind Chinese companies dominating the top ten globally, the proportion of overseas markets has exceeded half for the first time, and the competition rules of the entire industry are undergoing fundamental restructuring.

Industry concentration continues to decline

In the first half of the year, the global shipment of energy storage batteries approached 470GWh, with a year-on-year increase of over 70%. For three consecutive quarters, the shipment exceeded 200GWh, and the high momentum far exceeded previous market expectations. Ningde Times ranks first in the world with a shipment volume of 125GWh, and its market share has risen against the trend to 27.1%, outperforming the industry average in terms of growth rate. Yiwei Lithium Energy and Haichen Energy Storage ranked second and third respectively, with a significant narrowing gap in shipment volume between lower tier companies. Rankings after fifth place are highly susceptible to fluctuations in single major project bids and quarterly shipments. The industry wide CR10 has dropped to 82.3%, continuously breaking historical lows, and the previous pattern of absolute monopoly by top companies has been completely broken.

The focus of growth is shifting towards overseas markets

In the first half of the year, the proportion of overseas energy storage cell shipments exceeded 50% for the first time, and the global energy storage growth momentum shifted from a single region to a multipolar distribution. The shipment of 75.9GWh in the North American market increased by 83% year-on-year, while the shipment of 72.7GWh in the European market increased by 74% year-on-year. Emerging markets such as the Middle East and Australia led the way in growth, with shipment volume doubling by 119% year-on-year. In the segmented track, household storage has become the fastest growing field, with a year-on-year increase of 128% in shipments and a market share rising from 7.7% to 10.3%. The pattern shows a high degree of concentration, which is in sharp contrast to the dispersed competition of large storage and industrial and commercial storage. The differences in product certification and channel rules between different regions continue to widen, and localized operational capabilities have become the core variable that widens the gap between enterprises.

Competition enters the stage of comprehensive competition

The expected global shipment of energy storage batteries for the second half of the year has been raised to 1026GWh, and the industry's high prosperity continues, with a tight supply and demand pattern. The penetration rate of large battery cells with a capacity of over 500Ah in the large storage market has exceeded 10%, and the quality and scale advantages of leading enterprises in the large-scale production stage will gradually emerge.

Korean manufacturers are leveraging the recovery of the US market to promote their dynamic dumping strategy. LG's new energy shipments surged 357% year-on-year in the first half of the year, and upstream resource enterprises extended vertically across borders, bringing new variables to the top ten rankings. The local supply chain rules in Europe and America continue to tighten, and supplier selection criteria have already moved beyond a single price dimension. The weight of supply chain stability, local production capacity, and compliance continues to rise.

The high-speed expansion window of the global energy storage industry is still ongoing, but the era of solely relying on scale expansion to seize the market has come to an end. The next industry competition will completely shift towards comprehensive competition in product reliability, manufacturing stability, and full chain delivery capabilities, and a new global industrial equilibrium pattern is accelerating its formation.Editor/Cheng Liting