On February 10, 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China National Intellectual Property Administration, the National Energy Administration, and the National Fire and Rescue Administration jointly issued the "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the New-Type ESS Manufacturing Industry" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"). The introduction of this policy marks a new stage in the development of China's new-type ESS manufacturing industry, aiming to promote high-quality development of the sector and accelerate the establishment of a modern industrial system and a new-type energy system.
I. Background and Significance of the Plan
The new-type ESS manufacturing industry refers to the manufacturing sector that provides products for energy storage, information processing, and safety control for new-type ESS. It encompasses the production of new-type batteries and other energy storage products, various new-type ESS technologies, as well as power electronic devices, thermal management, and energy control systems. In recent years, China's new-type ESS manufacturing industry has developed rapidly, with a continuously expanding market size, an increasingly complete industry chain system, breakthroughs in key core technologies, the emergence of leading enterprises, and the initial formation of a global development pattern.
However, alongside the rapid development of the industry, challenges and issues have also arisen, such as low-level redundant construction, insufficient technological innovation, and an incomplete industrial ecosystem. Therefore, the formulation of the "Action Plan" is of great significance for guiding the healthy and orderly development of the industry, enhancing its innovation capacity, and improving its overall competitiveness.
II. General Requirements and Development Goals
The "Action Plan" is guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee. It adheres to the new development philosophy in a comprehensive, accurate, and thorough manner, accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern. The general requirements emphasize the organic integration of supply-side structural reform and demand expansion, balancing high-quality development with high-level security, and promoting the integration of technological and industrial innovation.
The "Action Plan" sets development goals for 2027: China's new-type ESS manufacturing industry will significantly enhance its innovation capacity and overall competitiveness, achieving high-end, intelligent, and green development. The industrial system will be rapidly improved, with 3-5 ecosystem-leading enterprises cultivated, and a concentrated and regionally clustered industrial structure will take shape. Product performance will be significantly enhanced, with the supply capacity of high-safety, high-reliability, high-efficiency, long-life, and economically viable new-type ESS products continuously strengthened to better meet the application needs of various economic and social fields.
III. Key Considerations and Special Actions
The "Action Plan" is based on industry development trends, emphasizing the guidance of healthy and orderly development, adherence to innovation-driven growth, effective alignment of supply-side and application-side efforts, and coordinated international and domestic development. To this end, six major special actions are proposed:
- New-Type ESS Technology Innovation Action : Encourage the development of diversified new-type ESS core technologies, support breakthroughs in high-efficiency integration and intelligent regulation technologies, and focus on tackling multi-dimensional safety technologies across the life cycle. This will help enhance the technological level and innovation capacity of China's new-type ESS manufacturing industry.
- Industrial Collaborative Development Promotion Action : Scientifically plan industrial layouts, guide the optimization of the supply-demand relationship, strengthen resource security and utilization, and cultivate high-quality enterprises in the industry. This will help improve the industry chain system and enhance the overall competitiveness of the industry.
- Industrial Transformation and Upgrading Development Action : Enhance safety production capacity, adhere to green and low-carbon development, and improve intelligent manufacturing levels. This will help drive the industry toward high-end, intelligent, and green development.
- Demonstration Application Scenario Expansion Action : Encourage new-type ESS to participate in the electricity market as standalone ESS entities, accelerate the application of grid-forming ESS, and enhance the ability of new-type ESS to support the stable operation of power systems. This will help expand the application scenarios of new-type ESS and increase its value in power systems.
- Industrial Ecosystem Improvement Action : Accelerate the establishment of a safety risk assessment system for new-type ESS batteries, develop graded and categorized standards for ESS batteries, and strengthen the implementation of mandatory national safety standards. Enhance intellectual property protection and utilization, and strengthen the construction of innovation service platforms. This will help improve the industrial ecosystem and enhance the safety and sustainable development capabilities of the industry.
- Trade and Investment Cooperation Enhancement Action : Explore incorporating international cooperation in the new-type ESS sector into frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative and BRICS cooperation mechanisms, support relevant enterprises in orderly international expansion, and attract foreign financial institutions to invest in China. This will help promote international cooperation and exchange in the new-type ESS manufacturing industry and enhance its competitiveness in the global market.
IV. Safeguard Measures and Implementation Pathways
To ensure the smooth implementation of the "Action Plan," the following four safeguard measures are proposed:
- Strengthen Overall Coordination : Enhance collaboration among relevant departments and upstream-downstream linkages, encourage local governments to introduce special policies supporting technological progress and transformation and upgrading in the new-type ESS manufacturing industry. Establish a quality supervision system involving both government and enterprises.
- Increase Policy Support : Support breakthroughs in key technologies for new-type ESS, and carry out pilot demonstrations of new-type ESS applications in multiple scenarios. Provide facilitation services for enterprises in aspects such as the transportation of ESS products. Encourage insurance institutions to develop insurance products for ESS power stations.
- Regulate Industry Order : Promote the establishment of a unified national market, strengthen the standardized management of the lithium battery industry, and enhance the prevention and punishment of patent infringement and other illegal activities. Promote the establishment of a carbon footprint certification system and a full life cycle traceability management system for ESS lithium batteries.
- Accelerate Talent Development : Strengthen the integration of industry and education in the new-type ESS manufacturing sector, enhance the construction of talent teams for new-type ESS, and optimize talent evaluation and incentive systems. Build and improve industrial colleges and on-site engineer colleges, and establish a high-end talent cultivation network.
