【SMM Bulletin】Bulletin on new price points for 3.44/3.72 MWh DC-side energy storage systems in the US

On Sept 15, bid results were announced for energy storage system procurement of the Renqiu Zhihong 100MW/400MWh LFP plus sodium-ion independent storage pilot project in Hebei. Lot 1 covers LFP systems (30MW/120MWh large-capacity plus 60MW/240MWh long-life), won by Envision Energy at RMB 194.616 million, or RMB 0.518/Wh. Lot 2 covers a 10MW/40MWh sodium-ion system, won by CATL at RMB 41.416 million, or RMB 1.035/Wh. The project pilots a mixed LFP-sodium technology route for grid-side storage.

[Solid-State Battery: Nine Departments' 15th Five-Year Plan Incorporates Automotive Solid-State Batteries into Specialised Standards System, Accelerating Supply of Cutting-Edge Technology Standards] On 9 September 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and eight other departments issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry (MIIT Joint Regulation Letter [2026] No. 305). In the task of "continuously improving the standards system," the Plan specifies the ongoing establishment and refinement of specialised standards systems for automotive chips, automotive software, automotive artificial intelligence, automotive solid-state batteries, and low-carbon development of automobiles. In the task of "accelerating the supply of cutting-edge cross-disciplinary standards," it further proposes accelerating the formulation of frontier technology standards for automotive artificial intelligence, cockpit-driving integration, solid-state batteries, distributed electric drive, fully active suspension, integrated driving units, and chassis fusion control. The Plan does not establish a separate special clause for the industrialisation of solid-state batteries; the relevant arrangements primarily focus on standards taking the lead, providing regulatory support for subsequent technological breakthroughs and large-scale application.

Researchers at Anhui Normal University, with Beijing Normal University and University of Science and Technology Beijing, published results on high-performance lithium-chlorine batteries in Advanced Materials. By tuning pore size in covalent organic framework materials from about 2.7 nm down to 0.9 nm, the team greatly enhanced chlorine confinement. The optimized microporous material achieved over 97% coulombic efficiency at high current density, 200 stable cycles at minus 20 degrees Celsius with 99% average efficiency, and high discharge capacity even at minus 40 degrees, offering a general design strategy for practical Li-Cl2 batteries.