Sungrow Secures 500MWh Energy Storage Order in Southeast Asia

India's Central Electricity Authority has published draft amendments to its technical standards requiring ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects commissioned after July 1, 2027 to install co-located energy storage equal to at least 10% of installed capacity with a minimum two-hour duration, rising to four hours for projects commissioned from July 2029 through June 2031. The draft also mandates that at least 15% of inverters in renewable plants have grid-forming control, while all power conversion systems of battery storage must be grid-forming, with stakeholder comments open until October 4. More than 8,133 GWh of solar was curtailed in the first quarter of the fiscal year as the grid could not absorb daytime surplus, and the new rules aim to address mounting curtailment and grid stability concerns.

[SMM Analysis] Affected by tight copper foil supply and slower-than-expected capacity ramp-up for large-capacity battery cells, China and global energy storage battery cell production growth in September is expected to slow to 4.09% and 4.25% MoM, respectively, but this does not indicate weakening end-use demand. Supply-demand conditions for energy storage battery cells remain tight, with 314Ah battery cell prices holding steady. Shipments are expected to rise steadily going forward, with prices continuing their stable-to-higher trend.

At Intersolar South America in Brazil (Aug 25-27), around 20 Chinese energy storage companies exhibited. Chuneng New Energy signed agreements with four partners, including MOUs with Argentina's Intermepro and Brazil's ION Energy and JSN Energia, plus a 1.5GWh cell framework deal with Windey Energy to supply cells for its first overseas storage plant in Bahia, Brazil. With a fragile grid, a 20.6% curtailment rate and the world's second-highest residential power prices, Brazil will launch Latin America's largest national storage tender (about 18GW in round one) in December 2026, drawing CATL, Trina, Hithium, CLOU, Gotion and Great Power to expand locally.