Relevant responsible comrades from the National Energy Administration answer questions from reporters on the “15th Five-Year Plan” New Energy Storage Implementation Plan
The Zhitong Finance App learned that recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the “15th Five-Year Plan” (hereinafter referred to as the “Implementation Plan”). The reporter interviewed relevant responsible comrades from the National Energy Administration. The “Implementation Plan” focuses on the planning and layout of “actively cultivating emerging pillar industries and vigorously developing new types of energy storage”, and specifically lays out 16 development tasks in six areas, with a focus on achieving improvements in six areas.
First, the scale layout is more scientific, rationally plan the “15th Five-Year Plan” development scale, and guide the layout of new energy storage into regions with peak demand for guaranteed supply, new energy consumption, and safe and stable operation of the system.
Second, application scenarios are richer, consolidating the application of new energy storage on the power supply side and power grid side, and at the same time increasing efforts to develop the application of new energy storage in diverse innovative scenarios such as direct green power connections, zero-carbon parks, and virtual power plants.
Third, technological innovation is more diversified, consolidating the energy storage advantages of lithium-ion batteries, promoting the application of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage, and promoting the engineering and industrialization of diverse energy storage technology routes such as compressed air and liquid flow batteries.
Fourth, the market mechanism has been improved, the electricity market mechanism and price mechanism have been improved, the fair participation of new types of energy storage in the electric energy market and the auxiliary service market is promoted, and the reliable capacity value of the new energy storage is better reflected.
Fifth, industry management is more orderly, standardize the management of new energy storage projects, strengthen the management of independent new energy storage lists on the power grid side, and do a good job of supervising and managing the whole process of planning, construction, and grid-connected operation.
Sixth, industrial development will be more steady, support for the development of new energy storage industries will be increased, supply chain security capabilities and development resilience in the industrial chain will be strengthened, and the healthy and orderly development of emerging industries will be further promoted.
The original text is as follows:
Relevant responsible comrades from the National Energy Administration answer questions from reporters on the “15th Five-Year Plan” New Energy Storage Implementation Plan
Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the “15th Five-Year Plan” for New Energy Storage Implementation Plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Implementation Plan”). The reporter interviewed relevant responsible comrades from the National Energy Administration.
1. What is the background of the introduction of the “Implementation Plan”?
Answer: The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the development of new types of energy storage. The development of new energy storage has been included in the “Report on the Work of the Government” for three consecutive years, and the “Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development” proposes vigorous development of new types of energy storage, pointing out the direction for the “15th Five-Year Plan”.
During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, China's new energy storage industry experienced leapfrog development “from small to large, from weak to strong”. Overall, it moved from the beginning of commercial application to a new stage of large-scale development, and achieved remarkable results: First, the policy system was becoming more and more perfect. A series of documents such as “Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Development of New Energy Storage”, “14th Five-Year Plan”, and “Special Action Plan for Large-scale Construction of New Energy Storage (2025-2027)” were issued to establish the “four pillars and eight pillars” of the new energy storage development policy. Second, the scale of installed capacity has developed by leaps and bounds. The installed scale of new energy storage in China has been “doubling” for many years. By the end of 2025, the country's installed capacity of new energy storage had reached 136 million kilowatts, and the new installed capacity in the “14th Five-Year Plan” was more than 40 times that of the end of the “13th Five-Year Plan”. Third, technological innovation continues to emerge. A number of 300,000 kilowatt compressed air energy storage, 100,000 kilowatt liquid flow battery energy storage, sodium-ion battery energy storage, and single megawatt flywheel energy storage projects have been put into operation, and a number of grid-based energy storage projects have been implemented. Fourth, it plays multiple roles effectively. The level of scheduling and application of the new energy storage system continues to improve. In 2025, the number of hours used for the new energy storage reached 1,195 hours, playing a role in promoting the development and consumption of new energy sources, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power system. Fifth, industry management is deepening and becoming more practical. The “New Energy Storage Project Management Code (Interim)” was formulated, and a collaborative industry management mechanism between the central government and the local authorities was established. Sixth, industrial advantages continue to grow. A trillion-dollar industry was built in five years, becoming one of the emerging pillar industries, contributing “China's strength” to the world's energy transformation.
The “15th Five-Year Plan” period is a critical period for China to build an energy power and accelerate the construction of a new energy system. Opportunities and challenges for the development of new energy storage in China coexist. The acceleration of energy transformation and technological innovation breakthroughs have injected development impetus into the development of the industry. At the same time, the intensification of market competition and the upgrading of industrial competition have also brought new tests to the development of the industry. In order to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council and scientifically guide the high-quality development of the “15th Five-Year Plan” new energy storage, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration researched and formulated the “Implementation Plan” on the basis of thorough research and evaluation of the internal and external environment of development, and systematically planned and deployed the main goals, key tasks, specific measures and guarantee measures of the “15th Five-Year Plan” to promote the high-quality development of new energy storage.
2. What are the general requirements and development goals of the “Implementation Plan”?
Answer: The “Implementation Plan” adheres to Xi Jinping's ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, thoroughly implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress and the 20th Plenary Session of the Party, comprehensively implements the new “four revolutions, one cooperation” energy security strategy, anchors the goal of carbon peak by 2030, builds a strong energy country, adheres to the main line of high-quality development, integrates development and safety, comprehensively balances the relationship between various power sources, power grids and regulation capabilities, consolidates and enhances the core competitiveness of the new energy storage industry, and comprehensively supports the construction of new energy systems and new power systems. It is clearly proposed that the “15th Five-Year Plan” will push new energy storage from the stage of large-scale development to the stage of market-based development. The installed scale of new energy storage nationwide has reached 300 million kilowatts, and the average energy storage time is about 3 hours, effectively promoting the integration and interaction of all aspects of load storage in the power system source network.
The “Implementation Plan” focuses on “actively cultivating emerging pillar industries and vigorously developing new energy storage”, and specifically deploys 16 development tasks in six areas, focusing on achieving improvements in six areas: First, the scale layout is more scientific, rationally planning the “15th Five-Year Plan” development scale, and guiding the layout of new energy storage to regions with peak demand for guaranteed supply, new energy consumption, and safe and stable operation of the system. Second, application scenarios are richer, consolidating the application of new energy storage on the power supply side and power grid side, and at the same time increasing efforts to develop the application of new energy storage in diverse innovative scenarios such as direct green power connections, zero-carbon parks, and virtual power plants. Third, technological innovation is more diversified, consolidating the energy storage advantages of lithium-ion batteries, promoting the application of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage, and promoting the engineering and industrialization of diverse energy storage technology routes such as compressed air and liquid flow batteries. Fourth, the market mechanism has been improved, the electricity market mechanism and price mechanism have been improved, the fair participation of new types of energy storage in the electric energy market and the auxiliary service market is promoted, and the reliable capacity value of the new energy storage is better reflected. Fifth, industry management is more orderly, standardize the management of new energy storage projects, strengthen the management of independent new energy storage lists on the power grid side, and do a good job of supervising and managing the whole process of planning, construction, and grid-connected operation. Sixth, industrial development will be more steady, support for the development of new energy storage industries will be increased, supply chain security capabilities and development resilience in the industrial chain will be strengthened, and the healthy and orderly development of emerging industries will be further promoted.
3. What application scenarios does the “Implementation Plan” focus on?
A: The “Implementation Plan” deployed application scenarios from three aspects: power supply side, power grid side, and innovation scenarios.
Regarding new energy storage on the power supply side, on the one hand, it focuses on scenarios such as the desert, water and landscape integration, and offshore wind power bases to guide new energy bases to rationally allocate energy storage, improve the utilization rate of new energy sources at the base, and strengthen reliable channel capacity support. By 2030, the new energy base will be equipped with a new energy storage scale of about 50 million to 60 million kilowatts. On the other hand, the focus is on leveraging the role of new energy storage in promoting the consumption of new energy sources, increasing the flexible adjustment level of conventional power sources, encouraging centralized and distributed new energy sources, conventional power supplies, etc. to scientifically allocate energy storage and energy storage according to demand, and actively promote integrated scheduling and integration of energy storage and new energy sources to participate in market work.
As for new grid-side energy storage, it currently accounts for more than 50% of installed capacity. It is expected that during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the increase in installed capacity of new energy storage for private use in the province will be mainly grid-side energy storage, focusing on the role of power supply assurance, new energy consumption, and supporting grid safety and stability. By 2030, the new grid-side independent energy storage scale that can guarantee peak supply is about 140 million kilowatts. We will implement the relevant requirements of the “Notice on Improving the Electricity Price Mechanism on the Power Generation Side”, focus on inventory management, and guide the scientific layout of the project. At the same time, we actively encourage the construction of new energy storage in distribution grids, support the collaborative development of main distribution microgrids, and explore alternative energy storage applications for power grids.
For innovative energy storage scenarios, the focus is on the demand for new energy storage to promote the green development of the industrial industry, supporting the application of new energy storage in new models such as integrated source network load storage, direct green power connection, smart microgrids, new energy access to incremental distribution grids, and virtual power plants, promoting the construction of zero carbon parks, promoting the construction of eight major computing power hubs and computing collaborative zones, and improving energy efficiency.
4. What are the directions of scientific and technological innovation proposed in the “Implementation Plan”?
A: As a typical example of new productivity in the energy sector, new energy storage is one of the important driving forces for its development is technological innovation. The “Implementation Plan” lays out the direction of scientific and technological innovation in the three areas of energy storage technology innovation, key equipment innovation, and common technological innovation.
On innovation in energy storage technology. The functional requirements of new power systems are diverse, and various new energy storage technologies are required to function. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, new energy storage technology routes will maintain diversified development, focusing on further improving performance, reducing costs, and improving application levels. The “Implementation Plan” clearly classifies and promotes the development of energy storage technology, accelerates the iterative upgrading of lithium-ion battery energy storage, and promotes the application of sodium-ion battery energy storage. Promote the transition from pilot applications to commercial applications such as compressed air energy storage, liquid flow battery energy storage, and flywheel energy storage. Encourage pilot applications of technologies such as supercapacitors, compressed carbon dioxide energy storage, liquid air energy storage, gravity energy storage, and molten salt heat storage. Supports cutting-edge technology reserves such as solid-state batteries, heat pump power storage, heat energy storage, and hydrogen energy storage.
On key equipment innovations. The “Implementation Plan” clearly further promotes the development of grid-structured energy storage, actively and steadily promotes the application of grid-structured energy storage layouts, and gradually improves standards such as grid-structured energy storage planning and configuration and equipment technical requirements. At the same time, the “Implementation Plan” proposes to promote the application of energy storage technology for different periods of time to adjust demand within the day, accelerate the development of short- and medium-term energy storage technology with significant safety and longevity, and long-term energy storage technology with large capacity and significant scale effects. Explore and promote the coordinated development and optimal configuration of various types of technologies such as electricity storage, heat storage, and hydrogen storage in response to demand adjustments across Japan and over a longer period of time.
On common technological innovation. The “Implementation Plan” puts forward requirements in terms of both efficient use and integrated application of artificial intelligence. Regarding efficient utilization technology, the focus is on promoting the role of various types of energy storage resources, such as centralized, distributed, and for different periods of time, to further improve the efficiency of energy storage utilization. Regarding artificial intelligence fusion technology, the aim is to achieve efficient integration of energy flow and information flow, and improve the level of intelligence of new energy storage systems.
5. What specific measures have been proposed to promote the implementation and effectiveness of the “Implementation Plan”?
Answer: The “Implementation Plan” proposes ten specific support measures to support the high-quality development of the “15th Five-Year Plan” new energy storage.
The first is to take more measures to actively support scientific and technological innovation. These include improving the innovation support system for new energy storage technology, promoting the implementation and application of innovative new energy storage technologies, and strengthening the cultivation of urgently needed talents in the field of new energy storage.
The second is to continue to strengthen the management of new energy storage projects. These include improving management standards for new energy storage projects, further strengthening the management of independent new energy storage lists on the power grid side, and strengthening the management of new types of energy storage in various regions according to local conditions.
The third is to improve the level of application of new energy storage scheduling. This includes promoting the grid-connected access of new energy storage standards, guiding the scientific scheduling and application of new energy storage systems, and actively supporting the joint use of new energy storage systems on the power supply side.
Fourth, strengthen the construction of a new energy storage standard system. This includes strengthening the coordination of standardization work for new energy storage, speeding up the revision of the standard system in key areas, and coordinating international standards and domestic standards.
Fifth, strengthen supervision and management of the new energy storage industry. This includes strengthening supervision and management of the entire process of planning and construction of new energy storage, grid acceptance, scheduling and application, and post-evaluation, and strengthening the supervision of the participation of new energy storage in the electricity market.
The sixth is to effectively strengthen the safety management of new types of energy storage. This includes ensuring safety as an important prerequisite for the development of new types of energy storage, and promoting the establishment of a safety supervision system. The project unit coordinates the safety management of the entire project process. Strengthen the hierarchical management and control of on-site safety risks to ensure safe operation.
The seventh is to promote the participation of new types of energy storage in the electricity market. This includes further promoting the participation of new types of energy storage in the electric energy market, speeding up the construction of the auxiliary service market in conjunction with actual practice, and making good connections between various markets.
Eighth is to speed up the improvement of the price mechanism for new energy storage. This includes improving the mechanism for reflecting the value of the new energy storage capacity, and better reflecting the value of the reliable capacity of the new type of energy storage. Improve the new energy storage charging and discharging price mechanism, and study and optimize the operating cost sharing method of the system.
The ninth is to promote the healthy development of the new energy storage industry. This includes consolidating the independent R&D and manufacturing capabilities of the entire industry chain and promoting the rational layout and structural optimization of production capacity. Strengthen support for the new energy storage industry, and make good use of various policies to support project construction.
The tenth is to deepen international exchanges and cooperation on new types of energy storage. This includes establishing and improving international exchange and dialogue mechanisms, establishing a mutually beneficial and win-win international cooperation model, and actively supporting new energy storage enterprises to explore overseas markets.
6. How to implement the “Implementation Plan”?
Answer: The “Implementation Plan” proposes that the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration strengthen coordination and coordination in the development of new energy storage across the country and continue to improve the new energy storage development policy system. Provincial energy authorities take into account regional development and actual needs, make good connections with the national implementation plan for new energy storage, and promote the development of new energy storage in the region. The National Energy Administration has dispatched agencies to strengthen grid-connected deployment of new energy storage projects and participate in the supervision of market conditions. New energy storage enterprises should actively and orderly advance demonstration and construction implementation of key projects. Relying on a new national energy storage big data platform, we will strengthen the tracking and monitoring of the implementation of the implementation plan.
In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration will strengthen industry coordination, work with relevant departments to strengthen guidance, coordination, follow-up and evaluation, improve industry development support policies, respond to industry concerns in a timely manner, continue to study and coordinate solutions to major issues in the promotion of the “Implementation Plan”, actively promote the innovation capabilities and level of industrial development of new energy storage technologies to the forefront of the world, and achieve remarkable results in promoting the high-quality development of the “15th Five-Year Plan” new energy storage.
This article was edited by “National Energy Administration”, Zhitong Finance Editor: Li Fu.