China's operational new-type energy storage capacity reached 167 GW/435 GWh at the end of September 2026, 63% higher than a year earlier, according to figures the National Energy Administration (NEA) presented at its quarterly press conference on 30 October.
The category covers electrochemical, compressed-air and other emerging storage systems, and excludes conventional pumped hydro. Measured against 135.93 GW/351.12 GWh at the end of 2025, the latest numbers imply a net addition of roughly 31 GW/84 GWh during the first nine months of 2026.
Utilization rises alongside capacity
Average storage duration increased to 2.61 hours, about 0.27 hours more than a year earlier. Equivalent utilization hours over the nine months came to approximately 915, around 10 hours above the same period of 2025. The agency said the improvement indicates that configuration and operation are changing as the fleet grows, rather than installed capacity expanding on its own.
The NEA attributed the build-out to government policy, technological innovation, domestic supply chains and growing demand for flexibility in the power system. Wind and solar capacity passed 2.01 TW at the end of September, roughly 48.7% of total installed generation capacity, which raises the need to absorb surplus output, shift supply toward higher-demand hours and provide fast-response grid services.
Larger and longer-duration assets gain share
Official 2025 figures show independent storage facilities accounting for 51.2% of cumulative new-type installations. Projects rated at 100 MW or more represented 72% of installed capacity, while systems of at least four hours made up 27.6%. Lithium-ion batteries continued to supply about 96% of installed capacity, with compressed air, flow batteries and other technologies gradually adding share.
Market rules are expected to reinforce these patterns. China has been developing arrangements that let independent storage operators earn revenue from electricity trading, ancillary services and capacity remuneration, reducing reliance on storage mandates tied to renewable projects.
The 15th Five-Year Plan for power system development targets 300 GW of new-type storage by 2030, with greater emphasis on longer-duration systems, grid-forming capability and operating efficiency.
Balancing role on show in Inner Mongolia
In western Inner Mongolia, the grid operator reported 20.23 GW/70.47 GWh of operational storage in October. During emergency dispatch operations, storage supplied up to 12.25 GW, equivalent to 33% of the grid's electricity demand at the time, illustrating how short-term balancing can be delivered in systems with high renewable penetration.
For other markets expanding wind and solar generation, China's deployment offers reference experience in large-scale storage manufacturing, grid integration and centralized dispatch, though the figures reflect Chinese market rules and grid conditions rather than a template that transfers directly.