I. Lithium Batteries: Layered Evolution Under Market Dominance

1. Power Batteries: The "Duel of the Kings" Between High-Nickel and LFP

• High-Nickel Ternary Batteries:CATL's Qilin battery has achieved an energy density of over 300Wh/kg, supports 4C fast charging, and offers a range of over 1,000 km. However, its cost remains high at ¥800/kWh.
• Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP):BYD's Blade Battery has reduced costs to ¥500/kWh, with market share surging to 68%. However, its energy density ceiling is 190Wh/kg.

2. Technological Leap in Energy Storage Batteries

(Source: State Grid Energy Research Institute)

II. Sodium Batteries: The Breakthrough Battle of Low-Cost Alternatives

1. Cost Advantage

• Material Cost:Using Prussian Blue cathodes (¥30,000/ton), reducing costs by 60% compared to lithium ternary materials.
• LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity):Zhongke Haina's 1MWh sodium battery system achieves an LCOE of ¥0.25/kWh, 30% lower than lithium batteries.

2.Technological Milestones

• Cycle Life: CATL’s first-generation sodium battery has surpassed 4,000 cycles, with a 6,000-cycle target by 2025.
• Low-Temperature Performance: Maintains 85% capacity retention at -40°C, outperforming lithium batteries at 50%.

3. Focused Application Scenarios

• Base Station Energy Storage: China Tower plans for 15% of its base stations to adopt sodium batteries by 2025, creating an annual demand of 5GWh.
• Low-Speed Electric Vehicles: Yadea's sodium-ion two-wheelers achieve a 150km range, reducing costs by 20% compared to lithium.

III. Flow Batteries: The "Dark Horse" for Long-Duration Storage

1. The Commercialization Sprint of All-Vanadium Flow Batteries

• Project Scale:The 100MW/400MWh Dalian all-vanadium flow battery project is now operational, reducing LCOE to ¥0.35/kWh.
• Technical Bottlenecks:Electrolytes account for 60% of costs; a leasing model lowers initial investment by 70%.

2. The Disruptors with Innovative Chemistries

• Zinc-Bromine Flow Batteries:The CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) developed zinc-based batteries with an energy density of 80Wh/kg, cutting costs by 40% compared to vanadium.
• Organic Flow Batteries: XL Batteries (USA) introduced a saltwater-based system that is non-toxic and non-flammable, ideal for residential energy storage.

IV. The Dual Drivers of Policy and Market

1. Upgraded Energy Storage Mandates

• Northern China:Storage deployment requirements have increased to 15%-20% × 4 hours, enhancing flow battery competitiveness for 6+ hour applications.
• Distributed PV:Provinces like Zhejiang and Shandong require X% × 2-hour storage, accelerating sodium battery adoption in the C&I (commercial and industrial) storage market.

2. Innovations in Carbon Finance Tools

(Source: Guide to New Energy Storage Participation in Power Market Trading)

V. The Endgame: A Three-Way Split or Winner-Takes-All?

1. The Emerging Market Segmentation

2. Disruptive Wildcards

Solid-State Batteries: While they could reshape the competitive landscape by 2030, they remain in pilot stages through 2025.

Hydrogen Storage: Expected to complement weekly energy storage, but LCOE must drop below ¥0.10/kWh to be competitive.