China steps up new energy storage construction

China has been stepping up construction of new energy storage in recent years to build a new power system in the country amid its green energy transition, said authority.

By the end of the first quarter of 2024, the cumulative installed capacity of new energy storage projects in China has reached 35.3 million kW / 77.68 million KWH, an increase of more than 12 percent compared with that at the end of 2023 and an increase of more than 210 percent compared with that at the end of the first quarter of 2023, the National Energy Administration said during a press conference held in Beijing on Monday.

New energy storage, or energy storage using new technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, liquid flow batteries, compressed air and mechanical energy, is an important foundation for building a new power system in China, enjoying the advantages of a fast response, flexible configuration and short construction periods.

In terms of installed capacity, new energy storage power stations are now being built in a more centralized way and large scale with longer storage duration period, said the administration.

The northwestern regions of the country, rich in solar and wind energy resources, has become the fastest region in developing new energy storage in the country, with 10.3 million kilowatts of new energy storage installed capacity put into operation so far, accounting for 29.2 percent of the country's total, it said.

According the to the administration, energy consumption continues to grow during the first three months this year, with China's total electricity consumption meanwhile reaching 2.3 trillion KWH, up 9.8 percent year-on-year.

Industry is the main force driving the growth of energy use. The consumption of coal and natural gas increased steadily, and the consumption of gasoline and kerosene increased rapidly, it said.

Since the beginning of this year, electricity consumption has continued to grow rapidly, it is expected that during the summer of this year, the national electricity load will also grow rapidly, putting pressure upon the country's power supply in case of extreme and disastrous weather, it said.

The administration vows to ensure power supply during peak hours while stepping up monitoring to ensure steady power supply, it said.