In the 2024 Government Work Report, “developing new energy storage” was proposed for the first time. On April 29, in the National Energy Administration held a press conference, the National Energy Administration of energy conservation and science and technology equipment department deputy director, told reporters that the National Energy Administration attaches great importance to the new energy storage development work, by promoting technology innovation pilot demonstration, strengthen the new energy storage scheduling measures, promote the development of new energy storage diversified high quality. First, the new energy storage continues to develop rapidly, with more than 35 million kilowatts of installed capacity having been put into operation. By the end of the first quarter of 2024, the cumulative installed capacity of new energy storage projects had been completed and put into operation in China reached 35.3 million kW / 77.68 million KWH, an increase of more than 12% compared with the end of 2023 and an increase of more than 210% compared with the end of the first quarter of 2023. Among the projects put into operation, from the perspective of installed capacity, the new energy storage power stations gradually show a trend of centralized and large-scale. The installed capacity of projects with less than 10,000 kW accounts for 6.7% of the total installed capacity, the installed capacity of 1-100,000 kW accounts for 38.5%, and the installed capacity of projects with more than 100,000 kw accounts for 54.8%.
“From the perspective of energy storage time, the average energy storage time of new energy storage projects in China is 2.2 hours, the installed capacity of energy storage for less than 2 hours accounts for 12.9% of the total installed capacity, the installed capacity of 2-4 hours accounts for 74.6%, and the installed capacity of more than 4 hours accounts for 12.5%. In terms of regional distribution, northwest China is rich in scenic resources and has become the fastest developing region of new energy storage in China. The installed new energy storage capacity has put 10.3 million kW into operation, accounting for 29.2% of north China, 25.3% in North China, 17.5% in Central China, 15.2% in South China, 12.3% in East China and 0.5% in Northeast China.”Said Bian Guangqi.

Second, technological innovation has continuous breakthroughs, and the pilot demonstration of new energy storage has achieved initial results. At the beginning of 2024, the National Energy Administration officially released the list of 56 new energy storage pilot demonstration projects in the form of announcement, covering the main technical routes of current engineering applications. Among them, there are 17 lithium ion batteries, 11 compressed air energy storage, 8 flow batteries, 8 hybrid energy storage, 3 gravity energy storage, 3 flywheel energy storage, 2 sodium ion batteries, 2 carbon dioxide energy storage, 1 lead-carbon battery and 1 liquid air energy storage.”Since the release of the list of demonstration projects, relevant work has been making steady progress, and some demonstration projects have been successfully connected to the grid, which has strongly promoted the application and implementation of new technologies.”Said Bian Guangqi.

Third, continue to improve the new energy storage calling mechanism to promote the regulatory role. With the rapid development of new energy, the power system puts forward a greater demand for the regulation capacity. In order to improve the new energy storage utilization, play a role of new energy storage regulation, the National Energy Administration adhere to the “problem oriented, system concept”, refining policy measures, issued by the notice about promoting new energy storage grid and dispatching use (countries hair technology gauge [2024] no. 26), aims to regulate the new energy storage grid access, promote new energy storage efficient scheduling, the power grid enterprises, power dispatching agency, new energy storage project unit put forward specific requirements.

“In the next step, the National Energy Administration will continue to improve the new energy storage policy system, encourage scientific and technological innovation, continue to promote the progress of the new energy storage technology industry, constantly guide the scientific allocation and scheduling of all kinds of energy storage, promote the regulation role of new energy storage, and support the construction of new energy system and new power system.”Bian Guangqi stressed.
Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, the new energy storage technology has developed rapidly. The energy storage power, duration, response speed and other characteristics of various technical routes are different, and there are their own application scenarios. Bian Guangqi analyzed that the National Energy Administration fully considers the actual application needs in the power system and encourages the diversified development of new energy storage technologies. With the joint efforts of all parties, new breakthroughs have been made in new energy storage technologies, including 300 MW compressed air energy storage host equipment, fully domestic flow battery diaphragm, and single megawatt flywheel energy storage system, helping China’s energy storage technology to reach the world’s advanced level. In order to further promote the progress of the new energy storage technology industry, the National Energy Administration has organized the pilot demonstration work of new energy storage. In the selection process of pilot projects, it always adheres to the diversified technical routes. The number of lithium ion battery energy storage projects accounts for 30% of the total projects, and the number of other technical routes and hybrid energy storage projects accounts for 70%.

Bian Guangqi told reporters that the next step, the National Energy Administration will work with the relevant units to do a good job of demonstration project tracking, give full play to the demonstration project demonstration driving effect, and put forward specific requirements for the relevant units. All provincial energy authorities should strengthen the management of pilot and demonstration projects, continuously track the construction progress of the projects, strictly control the construction quality, and ensure the safe and orderly implementation of the demonstration projects. We will strengthen special policy research and support for demonstration projects, coordinate and solve the problems faced by the projects, timely summarize the advanced experience of the demonstration projects, and ensure that the pilot demonstration work achieves the expected results. Demonstration project unit to increase capital investment, to ensure that the demonstration project production on schedule, at the same time must strictly in accordance with the application plan, abide by the new energy storage project management system, promoting project construction, strengthen system operation maintenance, timely write demonstration project acceptance report, and regularly through the national new energy storage data platform to submit the project construction operation, etc.
In fact, the Notice on Promoting Grid connection and Dispatching Application of New Energy Storage issued by the National Energy Administration standardizes the new energy storage connected to power systems and signed dispatching agreements, and is divided into two categories: new energy storage and new energy storage for self-use of power stations. The specific requirements are mainly in two aspects. In terms of management measures, first, standardize grid connection, and require grid enterprises and power dispatching agencies to formulate new energy storage grid-connected rules and guidelines. The second is to optimize the dispatching mode, requiring the power dispatching agency to scientifically determine the new energy storage dispatching operation mode. Third, we will strengthen operation and management.

In terms of technical requirements, first, standardize the access technical requirements. The new energy storage access system should meet the requirements of the safe and stable operation of the power system, and complete the corresponding performance tests and network-related tests. Second, it is clear to call the technical requirements. All new energy storage within the scope of the regulation should have the ability to automatically adjust the active power and reactive power according to the dispatching instructions. Third, we will encourage the renovation of existing power stations. Fourth, we will promote innovation in regulatory technologies and strengthen research, development and application of new technologies. At the same time, the Notice on Promoting the Grid connection and scheduling of New Energy Storage puts forward safeguard measures from four aspects, and defines the responsibilities of each unit on the grid connection and scheduling of new energy storage, so as to better play the management force.”In the next step, the National Energy Administration will work with relevant units to implement the policy documents and promote the regulatory role of the new energy storage.”Said Bian Guangqi.