China's energy storage industry posts robust growth

China's energy storage industry has been seeing strong development momentum in 2026, with rapid expansion in installed capacity and continuous emergence of new technologies, effectively supporting renewable energy development and enhancing power supply reliability.

China's first domestically produced variable-speed pumped-storage unit started electrical installation in Zhaoqing, south China's Guangdong province on Saturday. By precisely controlling pumping speed, the unit can store 280,000 cubic meters of water in the reservoir per hour using electricity generated from renewable sources, which can later be converted back into green power when needed.

Driven by the continuous rapid growth of renewable energy installations nationwide, China has accelerated the construction of pumped-storage hydropower projects in 2026. As of the end of March, the country's operational pumped-storage capacity had reached 67.09 gigawatts. In the first quarter, pumped-storage units generated 21.4 terawatt-hours of electricity, a 12.8 percent year-on-year increase.

Meanwhile, China's new-type energy storage construction is also gathering pace. In Huai'an, east China's Jiangsu province, the second unit of the world's largest compressed-air energy storage power station is undergoing commissioning before grid connection.

"Once the No. 2 unit is connected to the grid, it will provide the power network with a peak-shaving capacity of 300,000 kilowatts for four consecutive hours, significantly enhancing the regulation flexibility of the regional power grid," said Qiu Chenguang, director of the Dispatching Operation Department at State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Company.

As of the end of March, China's operational new-type energy storage capacity had exceeded 140 gigawatts.

Alongside the growth in installed capacity, new-type energy storage technologies are also advancing. Currently, lithium-ion battery energy storage has entered the stage of large-scale commercial application, accounting for over 96 percent of the total installed capacity.

Furthermore, disruptive frontier technologies, including solid-state batteries and hydrogen energy storage, are also witnessing accelerated development. New-type energy storage is emerging as a pivotal force in promoting renewable energy utilization and strengthening power supply guarantees.

China's energy storage industry posts robust growth

Iran will soon unveil a "professional mechanism" on managing the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Saturday, without specifying the exact timing of the disclosure.

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, wrote on social media platform X that the route will "remain closed" to the operators of Project Freedom, a U.S. military operation aimed at guiding commercial vessels out of the strait.

"In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it," he said, adding that Iran will collect the "necessary fees" for "the specialized services provided under this mechanism."

The United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb. 28, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior Iranian officials and civilians. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. interests in the region and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on April 8, which was followed by talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Pakistan's Islamabad on April 11 and 12 that ended without an agreement. Later, the United States imposed its own blockade on the strait.

Since the ceasefire, U.S. and Iranian forces have engaged in multiple direct exchanges of fire in and around the strait.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News that he was considering restarting Project Freedom with an expanded scope, yet no final decision had been made.

Iran to soon unveil mechanism on managing traffic in Hormuz Strait along designated route