CATL warns against blind energy storage scaling, urges integrated design for reliability
On September 20-21, CATL held "Ningde Quality" 2026 Global Open Month energy storage events in Ningde and Xiamen, Fujian. Executives warned against blindly scaling up systems, emphasizing integrated hardware-software design over larger cells alone. CATL's Tianheng system was highlighted as a unified design example. Industry partners reported projects maintaining capacity above contractual levels after nearly three years of 100% depth-of-discharge operation. The Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Science and Technology Research Institute presented cases of laboratory testing identifying high-voltage breakdown and high-altitude environmental risks before deployment.
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CATL Hosts 'Ningde Quality' Energy Storage Events in Ningde and Xiamen for 2026 Global Open Month
On September 20-21, CATL held 'Ningde Quality' 2026 Global Open Month energy storage events in Ningde and Xiamen, Fujian province. The events featured CATL's energy storage technology team, the Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Science and Technology Research Institute, and investor representatives. CATL's Energy Storage Technology Center Director Wu Dianfeng stated that the company is using deeply integrated software and hardware to improve substation operational reliability and systematic empirical verification to validate real-world performance, turning safety, reliability, and long life into assessable and sustainable trusted energy assets. During a roundtable forum, Wang Kun, chairman of Nanjing Sixiang New Energy and Jiangsu Guosheng Chuangrong New Energy, noted that his company has consistently chosen CATL cells since 2017, and a Tongliao project was completed and connected to the grid in under six months, 20 days ahead of schedule. Ren Feng, CEO of Shenzhen Huagong Energy, reported that a self-invested project using CATL solutions has operated for nearly three years with capacity retention exceeding contractual terms under daily 100% depth of discharge (DOD) operation. Chen Xiaobo, dean of the Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Science and Technology Research Institute, explained that empirical testing must move from component-level to full-scale, substation-level verification, actively replicating grid operating architectures and application scenarios to identify system performance and safety boundaries. He cited a 1.4 GWh high-altitude project in Tibet where the institute introduced plateau environmental conditions into the lab for testing, and a gigawatt-hour-level project where testing preemptively identified high-voltage breakdown issues under overvoltage conditions. The institute is advancing cooperation with industry chains, financial insurance institutions, and research units, aiming to convert common issues into standards and design specifications to support project risk assessment and financing decisions. CATL summarized that the 'Ningde Quality' value in energy storage lies in supporting long-term operation with system capabilities and improving asset transparency through empirical evidence, making energy storage a grid-reliable and investor-valuable energy asset.
CATL Holds Energy Storage Events in Ningde and Xiamen for 2026 Global Open Month
On September 20-21, CATL held 'Ningde Quality' 2026 Global Open Month energy storage events in Ningde and Xiamen, Fujian Province. The events featured CATL's energy storage technology team, Xiamen Shizheng Energy Storage Technology Research Institute, and energy storage investor representatives. CATL's Energy Storage Technology Center Director Wu Dianfeng stated that 'a good cell is the starting point, not the end point,' emphasizing the company's approach of deeply integrating software and hardware to improve overall station reliability. At a roundtable, Nanjing Sixiang New Energy Chairman Wang Kun noted that since 2017 his company has consistently chosen CATL cells, and a Tongliao project was completed and connected to the grid in less than half a year, 20 days ahead of schedule. Shenzhen Huagong Energy CEO Ren Feng said a self-invested project using CATL solutions has operated for nearly three years with capacity retention exceeding contract terms under 100% depth of discharge. Xiamen Shizheng Energy Storage Technology Research Institute President Chen Xiaobo explained that energy storage verification must move from component-level to full-scale, station-level testing, actively replicating grid architectures and application scenarios to identify system performance and safety boundaries. The institute is advancing cooperation with industry chains, financial insurance institutions, and research units to convert common issues into standards and design specifications, supporting project risk assessment and financing decisions.
Read sourceCATL executive warns against blindly scaling up energy storage systems, urges balanced design
In an interview during CATL's quality month event, the company's Energy Storage Technology Center director Wu Dianfeng cautioned that energy storage systems should not pursue sheer size at the expense of reliability and efficiency. He argued that optimal performance requires integrated hardware-software design, not just larger batteries or cabinets. Wu cited CATL's Tianheng system as an example of unified design across battery management, energy scheduling, thermal management, and grid interaction. CATL's domestic energy storage solutions CTO Lin Jiubiao noted that while larger cells (beyond 314Ah) reduce costs, the marginal benefits diminish and safety risks increase. He added that scaling system capacity from 6MW to 10MW yields only about 1% cost reduction, which may be offset by transport and installation challenges. Both executives emphasized that product development is a multi-objective optimization process balancing cost, round-trip efficiency, and battery health. Chen Xiaobo, director of Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Technology Research Institute, stressed the importance of full-scale empirical testing to identify system-level risks before deployment.
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CATL leverages quality control to solidify long-term value of energy storage assets
On September 20-21, CATL held a 'Ningde Quality' 2026 Global Open Month energy storage event in Fujian, explaining how systematic quality control and empirical testing underpin the long-term value of storage assets. The energy storage industry is shifting from pure capacity competition to a value reconstruction phase, with investment evaluation focusing on full lifecycle returns. CATL's Energy Storage Technology Center Director Wu Dianfeng stated that quality cells are only the foundation; long-term stable operation requires hardware-software integration. The Tianheng energy storage system integrates BMS, EMS, and TMS to convert cell performance into long-term station-level capability, as demonstrated by a 20-year power purchase agreement project in South Africa. Industry executives, including Wang Kun of Nanjing Sixiang New Energy and Ren Feng of Shenzhen Huagong Energy, emphasized that stable product delivery and full-cycle performance indicators are more critical than equipment purchase price. Chen Xiaobo of Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Research Institute noted that system-level safety and performance risks require laboratory simulation of extreme conditions, such as high-altitude and high-voltage scenarios, to identify issues before deployment. The institute has built a verification matrix linking industry chains, insurers, and research bodies to provide credible data for project risk assessment and investment.
Read sourceCATL Executive Says Software-Hardware Integration Turns Cell Advantage into Storage Asset Value
During CATL's 2026 Global Open Month energy storage event in Fujian, the company's Energy Storage Technology Center Director Wu Dianfeng stated that CATL is enhancing cell quality while developing deeply integrated software and hardware systems to support reliable long-term interaction between storage stations and the power grid. Wu explained that CATL has unified its DC and AC side software systems, enabling deep coordination among BMS, EMS, TMS, and AC-side control. By leveraging understanding of cell mechanisms, lifespan boundaries, and operational data, the company links battery status, charging/discharging strategies, and temperature control to match software decisions with hardware capabilities. Future iterations will integrate with station-level control systems to optimize energy and power response. Ren Feng, CEO of Shenzhen Huagong Energy, noted that a self-invested project using CATL's solution has maintained capacity above contractual levels after nearly three years of 100% depth-of-discharge operation, emphasizing that performance gaps from equipment selection cannot be compensated by trading capabilities. Wu said CATL targets customer full-lifecycle returns in product R&D.
Read sourceCATL Hosts 2026 Global Open Month Energy Storage Event in Fujian, China
On September 20-21, CATL held its 'Ningde Quality' 2026 Global Open Month energy storage events in Ningde and Xiamen, Fujian. The events featured CATL's energy storage technology team, Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Technology Institute, and energy storage investors. CATL presented its approach to improving grid-scale storage reliability through deep integration of software and hardware, including BMS systems that coordinate battery status, charging/discharging strategies, and temperature control. The company is working toward further integration with station-level control systems for optimized energy management and grid interaction. Industry partners provided testimonials: Wang Kun of Nanjing Sixiang New Energy noted that equipment performance differences affect investment returns across project phases, while Ren Feng of Shenzhen Huagong Energy reported that a self-invested project using CATL solutions maintained capacity above contract levels after nearly three years of 100% depth-of-discharge operation. The Xiamen event focused on systematic empirical verification, with Institute Director Chen Xiaobo presenting cases where laboratory testing identified issues such as high-voltage breakdown under overvoltage conditions and environmental adaptation challenges for high-altitude projects in Tibet. The institute is building a combined platform-based and scenario-based empirical testing matrix.
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