China has unveiled a blueprint to develop its ‘new-type battery sector’, targeting industry growth and an expansion of innovation capabilities across the entire industrial chain by 2030.
The blueprint defines new-type batteries as high-efficiency devices or systems for storing and converting electrical energy, including lithium, sodium and flow batteries, state news agency Xinhua announced on September 28.
Nan Cewen, a professor at Tsinghua University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the ambitious programme for batteries was the country’s first dedicated national-level plan for the battery industry.
Nan said measures include accelerating technological breakthroughs needed for industrial-scale production of all-solid-state batteries and developing a product supply system centred on lithium batteries, complemented by sodium and flow batteries.
The blueprint, released under China’s 15th five-year plan for 2026-2030, envisions the initial large-scale application of all-solid-state batteries and a cycle life of 15,000 cycles for long-life lithium batteries by 2030.
China also aims to achieve breakthroughs in advanced electrode materials, new electrolytes and high-end auxiliary materials, in addition to making “major progress in the development of new battery systems”, according to the government.
EVs and humanoid robotics are among applications fuelling demand for high-performance batteries in China — while battery-based energy storage is being used to support renewable energy integration and improve power grid stability, the government said.
Xinhua said official data showed China’s new-type battery industry saw its output value exceed Rmb1 trillion ($149 billion) during the 14th five-year plan for 2021-2025.
Work will also focus on improving the safety and ‘all-climate performance’ of batteries for new energy vehicles, strengthening intellectual property protection and improving battery life-cycle traceability.
A leading industry executive said in an article for Batteries International earlier this year that, for Western nations to compete with China, the focus must be on discovering breakthrough chemistries and accelerating the progression from lab to volume production.
To read the article by Mathias Ingvarsson, founder and CEO of the Holyvolt Group and executive chairman of Wildcat Discovery Technologies, click here.
