BUSINESS

China’s Energy Storage Firms Log Record Overseas Orders Amid Global Grid Shifts

Published: Jan. 23, 2026 11:15 p.m. GMT+8

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Workers inspect energy storage containers bound for export at a workshop in a new-energy base in Yiling district, Yichang, Hubei province. Photo: VCG

Chinese energy storage firms secured a record 366 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of overseas orders in 2025, up 144% from a year earlier, driven by grid instability in Europe and favorable policy tailwinds in the U.S. and Australia.

The China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA), which released the figures Thursday, said more than half of those orders—nearly 200 GWh—came in the second half of the year. But the group cautioned that order volume outpaced actual shipments due to long delivery cycles.

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Chinese energy storage firms secured record overseas orders of 366 GWh in 2025, a 144% year-on-year increase; over half were in the second half of the year.
The U.S. and Australia led demand, each ordering ~50–55 GWh, spurred by supportive policies, such as extended U.S. tax credits and Australia’s home battery subsidy.
Actual shipments may lag due to lengthy delivery cycles and non-binding agreements; Europe’s grid instability and policy support also boosted demand.

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Who’s Who

Citic Securities: Citic Securities analysis highlights how negative power prices in Europe have significantly widened the spread between peak and off-peak hours. This has boosted project yields in several European markets to 10%–15%, indicating a strong financial incentive for energy storage investments in the region.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

2025：: Chinese energy storage firms secured a record 366 GWh of overseas orders, up 144% from a year earlier.

Second half of 2025：: More than half of the 2025 overseas orders (nearly 200 GWh) were secured by Chinese energy storage firms.

April 28, 2025：: A blackout left much of Spain and Portugal without power for nearly 10 hours.

July 2025：: Canberra rolled out the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, offering a 30% subsidy for home battery systems in Australia.

Late 2025：: The Australian government boosted its subsidy budget for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program from A$2.3 billion to A$7.2 billion through 2030.