[SMM Analysis] Results of CNCEC's 6GWh ESS Battery Cell Framework Procurement: Lowest Price for 0.5C and 0.25C at 0.27 Yuan/Wh! Lowest Price for 1C at 0.285 Yuan/Wh!

In December 2024, China Energy Engineering Storage Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. launched a framework procurement for 6GWh of ESS battery cells for 2025, divided into Package 1 (5GWh) and Package 2 (1GWh). Package 1 required the purchase of prismatic batteries with C-rates of 0.5C and 0.25C, with cell specifications limited to 207 * 174 * 72mm; Package 2, on the other hand, sought prismatic batteries with a C-rate of 1C, without any size restrictions. This tender attracted eight top-tier enterprises, including EVE Power, REPT Battero, and Sunwoda Power, and was completed on March 21, 2025, with the announcement of the winning bids, signaling the latest price and technology trends in the ESS battery cell market.

The average winning bid price for Package 1 was 0.2764 yuan/Wh, with the lowest bid reaching 0.27 yuan/Wh (REPT Battero, CORNEX New Energy). The average winning bid price for Package 2 was 0.3182 yuan/Wh, 15.1% higher than that of Package 1. The high price spread mainly stemmed from the upgraded requirements for materials, processes (compaction density of pole pieces), and thermal management systems for high-rate batteries. However, it is worth noting that Ganfeng LiEnergy offered the lowest winning bid for Package 2 at 0.285 yuan/Wh, showing a relatively small difference from the overall 0.5C cell quotes in the industry.

All eight shortlisted companies were among the top 15 domestic battery producers, with no "dark horses" emerging, indicating that the ESS battery cell market has entered a phase of head-to-head competition under triple barriers of technology, capital, and supply chain.

SMM New Energy Industry Research Department

Cong Wang 021-51666838

Rui Ma 021-51595780

Disheng Feng 021-51666714

Yanlin Lv 021-20707875

Zhizheng Zhou 021-51666711

Haohan Zhang 021-51666752

Zihan Wang 021-51666914

Jie Wang 021-51595902

Yang Xu 021-51666760

Bolin Chen 021-51666836