Amid frequent geopolitical disruptions and mounting pressure on the stability of energy supplies in many countries, nations are placing greater emphasis on energy autonomy and security, and are continuously increasing their procurement of energy storage equipment and investments in energy storage projects. In the first quarter of 2026, China's energy storage industry bucked the traditional off-season trend and experienced explosive growth in exports. The export value of lithium-ion batteries — one of the most critical components of energy storage equipment — surged more than 50% year-on-year.

         According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China exported RMB 167.21 billion worth of lithium-ion batteries from January to March, an increase of over 50% compared to the same period last year. Of this, the European Union was the largest export market, followed by ASEAN.

         At an energy storage production facility in Shenzhen, Guangdong, Chandrasekhar, an Indian buyer who has been cooperating with the company for many years, is discussing next steps for collaboration. With growing demand for energy storage products in the Indian market, he plans to increase his purchase volume this year.

         Chandrasekhar, the Indian buyer, said his company has already placed orders for nearly 200 MWh, which have been delivered and executed. Discussions regarding demand planning for the next year have also begun.

         Since the beginning of this year, overseas demand for energy storage products has continued to grow, a trend keenly felt by company staff, with a notable increase in the number of foreign buyers visiting for inspections. Before energy storage products can be exported overseas, they must first obtain approval for the use of dangerous goods packaging, to certify to the relevant authorities that the export goods comply with requirements. The application frequency for this certification has also noticeably increased since the start of the year.

         Company representatives noted that the first quarter has traditionally not been the peak season for the energy storage industry. However, driven by overseas market demand this year, export volumes across the company's various energy storage product categories have all increased, further expanding overseas sales channels.

         Liu Hepeng, Vice President of a power supply company in Shenzhen, Guangdong, said that there had been significant growth from December of last year through April of this year, with shipments in the first quarter of this year rising an estimated 150% year-on-year. Previously, the company's focus was on communication energy storage products, but now it has expanded its product range. Communication energy storage products are exported to Southeast Asia, while industrial and commercial energy storage products go to Australia and the United States. In the past, exports were dominated by lithium-iron phosphate batteries, but now the company has begun increasing exports of sodium-ion batteries.