In H1, the global ESS battery market delivered an impressive report card!
On August 3, the latest data released by South Korean research institute SNE Research showed that in H1 2026, global BESS shipments reached 461.3 GWh, up 71% from 269.7 GWh in the same period last year.
From the market landscape perspective, amid the global energy transition, the continued surge in energy storage demand also drove a clear reshaping of the market landscape.
SNE analysis noted that in H1 this year, although China still firmly remained the world’s largest energy storage market, combined shipments from North America, Europe, and other regions had already surpassed China, indicating that growth momentum in the global energy storage market is expanding from a single region toward a multipolar structure.
Specifically, in H1, China maintained its position as the largest market with shipments of 202.5 GWh, up 49% YoY, showing steady growth. Other regions posted a YoY growth rate as high as 119%, with their share rising to 23.9%, making them the fastest-growing area; North America and Europe also grew by 83% and 74%, respectively, strongly driving market expansion. As a result, China’s market share was adjusted down from 50.5% to 43.9%. Large projects in emerging markets such as the Middle East and Australia were launched one after another, pushing global energy storage demand to spread across multiple regions.
Chinese Companies Sweep the Global Top 10; the Top 3 Take Up Half the Market
From the competitive landscape of enterprise competitiveness, in H1 2026, Chinese battery enterprises continued to dominate the global TOP10 in ESS battery shipments, but the overall competitive landscape had clearly shifted: the combined market share of the top three (CATL, EVE, and Hithium) climbed from 45.8% to 47.5%, further concentrating strength at the top. Shipment gaps among some producers in the second and third tiers had narrowed to within 1 GWh, and rankings could be overturned at any time by one or two large orders. Meanwhile, the share of other battery producers slid from 9.9% to 7.0%, with their room for survival continuously squeezed.
Among them,CATLranked first globally with shipments of 125 GWh, expanding its market share from 25.6% to 27.1%, up 1.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year, mainly benefiting from steady demand in the Chinese market and bulk orders from projects outside China. Its 81.0% YoY growth rate exceeded the industry average; maintaining high growth on such a large base further solidified its leading position.
EVE and Hithiumranked second and third, with shipments of 48 GWh and 46.2 GWh, respectively, and both held market shares of around 10%.
BYDrecorded shipments of 35.7 GWh, ranking fourth globally with a 7.7% market share, remaining stable.
The gap between the fifth- and sixth-rankedCALB and REPT Batterowas extremely small, with shipments of 31.5 GWh and 31.4 GWh, respectively, and both had a 6.8% market share.
CORNEX New Energyclosely followed CALB and REPT Battero, ranking seventh with shipments of 30.2 GWh and a 6.5% market share.
AESC, Gotion High-tech, and Great Power Energyalso had relatively small gaps, ranking eighth to tenth, with shipments of 21.2 GWh, 20.8 GWh, and 20.5 GWh, and market shares of 4.6%, 4.5%, and 4.4%, respectively. Among them, Great Power Energy and AESC, which have competitive advantages in markets outside China, posted growth rates far above the industry average, increasing by 202% and 111%, respectively, and were the only two companies in the TOP10 for global BESS shipments in H1 2026 to achieve doubled growth.
Two South Korean battery companiesLGES and Samsung SDIranked 11th and 12th, respectively.
Among them, LGES shipped 12 GWh, up 357% YoY, the highest growth rate among the 12 companies, with a 2.6% market share. In Q2 alone, LGES shipped 6.7 GWh, more than six times higher than 1.1 GWh in the same period last year.
Samsung SDI shipped 6.4 GWh, up 20% YoY, the lowest growth rate among the 12 companies, with a 1.4% market share.
SNE specifically mentioned that in the North American market, South Korean enterprises had an even stronger presence. The combined market share of LGES and Samsung SDI in North America rose from 13.9% in the same period last year to 19.7%. In H1 2026, the North American ESS market size reached 75.9 GWh, up 83% YoY. LGES shipped 0.3 GWh, with its market share jumping from 4.2% to 13.6%, ranking third, behind only CATL and Hithium. LGES shipped 12 GWh of global ESS in H1, of which about 86% came from North America, and 95% of North America’s shipped energy storage systems were for the power grid. Samsung SDI’s shipments in North America increased by 16%, but its market share fell from 9.7% to 6.1%; however, it supplied 1.6 GWh of products to North American AI data centers, establishing a supply base in emerging application fields.
SNE analysis noted that against the backdrop of a still-stage slowdown in EV demand, South Korean enterprises are converting part of their power battery production lines for energy storage use and accelerating the mass production plan for LFP battery.
Battery Network noted that a recently released performance report by LGES showed that in H1, its energy storage business revenue surged 4.6 times YoY, with newly signed orders exceeding 3 trillion won. The Ultium Cells production line, a joint venture with General Motors, and the L-H Battery plant established together with Honda have both successfully started mass production of energy storage battery cells.
Judging from changes in market share among the above 12 companies, the number of enterprises gaining and losing share each accounted for half. Great Power Energy, LGES, CATL, AESC, Hithium, and BYD posted positive YoY growth, while Gotion High-tech, CALB, REPT Battero, Samsung SDI, EVE, and CORNEX New Energy saw declines to varying degrees.
In addition to the above 12 companies, other BESS companies shipped 32.4 GWh in H1, up 21% YoY, but their market share fell from 9.9% in the same period last year to 7.0%. The survival space for small and mid-sized enterprises is narrowing, and the industry is further concentrating toward top-tier players.
It should be noted that shipment volumes among enterprises in the mid-to-upper tiers are extremely close, with gaps of only around 1 GWh—equivalent to the weight of one or two large project orders. This means that the outcome of any key tender, or fluctuations in quarterly delivery pace, could directly rewrite the rankings for that period.
Entering H2, the order allocation for multiple large projects will be revealed one after another, while capacity at some new entrants begins to be released and shipments are expected to ramp up. With these two forces combined, the camp from fifth place onward is highly likely to see a new round of reshuffle.
Grid-Side ESS Is the Main Growth Driver; Household ESS Is the Breakout Point for Growth
In H1, shipments by ESS producers generally rose, but growth diverged significantly: some enterprises advanced rapidly, while others clearly fell behind. Behind this, differences in regional footprint and product mix are the two main influencing factors: first, penetration depth in markets outside China, especially the European and US markets; second, the ability to secure positioning in two high-growth tracks—grid-side ESS and residential ESS.
From the application field perspective, in H1,grid-side ESSapplication shipments reached 347 GWh, accounting for 75% of the total and serving as the main driver of market growth; household ESS shipments increased from 20.9 GWh to 47.7 GWh, more than doubling, ranking first among the three major applications with a 128% YoY growth rate, and its share also rose from 7.7% to 10.3%, surpassing 10% for the first time; industrial and commercial ESS also grew by 59%, with shipments expanding from 24.9 GWh to 39.6 GWh.
Among them, in H1, grid-side ESS market shipments grew by 69% YoY, and major Chinese battery producers continued to lead. CATL ranked first with a 30% share, followed by Hithium (13%), EVE (10%), BYD (9%), and CALB (8%); the top five producers together accounted for about 70% market share. CORNEX New Energy and AESC accounted for 8% and 6%, respectively, also ranking among core suppliers.
Notably, grid-side ESS remained the largest source of demand, but its share pulled back slightly from 76.2% in the same period last year. This means that while grid-side energy storage continues to expand, demand in other scenarios is being released at a faster pace. Tender results for large projects in H2 may further change the competitive landscape.
Industrial and Commercial ESS Marketshipments grew by 59% YoY, and CATL still firmly held the top position with a 35% market share. REPT Battero followed closely with 14%, while BYD (10%), Gotion High-tech (6%), and CALB (6%) ranked third to fifth. Among them, CATL and REPT Battero together accounted for about 49%, nearly half the market, giving them strong influence in the industrial and commercial ESS market. Other producers together held a 10% share, the highest among the three major applications, indicating that in the industrial and commercial ESS sector, beyond top-tier players, many small and mid-sized manufacturers are still competing, and the landscape is relatively fragmented.
Household ESSwas the undisputed breakout point in H1, with 128% YoY growth far exceeding grid-side and industrial and commercial segments. Among them, REPT Battero, leveraging a long-accumulated client base and delivery reputation, continued to rank first with a 32% share, followed by EVE (25%) and Great Power Energy (23%). The top three together accounted for 80% market share, with concentration clearly higher than in the grid-side and industrial and commercial segments.
More importantly, household ESS’s share of the overall market jumped from 7.7% in the same period last year to 10.3%, surpassing 10% for the first time. Behind this structural change were the recovery of European household ESS demand and the simultaneous rise in penetration rate of residential ESS equipment in China.
In addition, the expansion of AI data centers and the increase in renewable energy power generation also drove demand for energy storage related to power grid stabilisation. Supply capability for battery cells in some products and projects is being consumed rapidly, and the market has already shown a trend of locking in supply in advance.
Conclusion
In H1, the ESS battery industry sustained strong growth momentum, and full-year shipments are expected to historically surpass the 1 TWh milestone.
Meanwhile, beneath the high prosperity, undercurrents are stirring. Overall, the global ESS battery market is showing a competitive landscape of “the first tier stays strong, the second and third tiers enter a melee, and other enterprises fight for survival in the cracks”: top-tier players represented by CATL are accelerating the building of higher moats and continuously expanding market share by leveraging scale effects, technological barriers, and deep client stickiness; meanwhile, the second and third tiers face a harsh “advance or retreat” test, and some enterprises have already seen market share erosion.
Capability to expand into markets outside China, the industrialisation progress of new technology routes such as solid-state battery and sodium-ion battery, the extent to which energy storage project economics trigger price wars, as well as energy storage-related policies in China and overseas and changes in the global trade landscape will all affect the competitive landscape. For enterprises across the energy storage industry chain, the next two quarters will be a critical window period: they may ride the momentum upward, stage a comeback, or miss the opportunity.
