CATL Raises Prices on Some Energy Storage Cells, Calls It Routine Adjustment

September 21 – According to Interface News, CATL has updated its listed prices for energy storage cells on its online marketplace, marking the first public listing of its ultra-large-capacity 587Ah energy storage cell.

Compared to earlier prices disclosed by Energy Storage and Power Market in early September, the minimum listed price for the 280Ah (1P) energy storage cell has increased by 1.1%, while the minimum price for the 314Ah cell has risen by 2%. A CATL representative responded that the adjustment is a routine price change, noting that the company has previously adjusted prices based on market conditions.

Industry Context: Capacity Management and Structural Shift

The energy storage industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, leading to situations where planned production capacity in certain segments is large, and project implementation timelines may not align with actual demand. Recently, relevant authorities have initiated a capacity assessment of the energy storage sector, reviewing existing capacity, planned capacity, and project construction status. The pace of some projects that have not yet started construction may be affected.

Capacity control is expected to guide the industry toward more effective capacity construction and improve resource allocation efficiency. For the battery cell segment, stricter management of new capacity could reduce future supply pressure and improve industry supply-demand expectations. At the same time, industry competition is expected to shift more toward product performance, cost control, customer structure, and overseas market expansion capabilities.

Analyst Views

Xiangcai Securities

Xiangcai Securities believes that the combination of energy storage cell price adjustments and new capacity controls could improve the industry's supply-demand landscape. Recently, lithium carbonate prices have continued to weaken, prompting some energy storage cell companies to lower product quotes. Meanwhile, authorities have begun assessing new energy storage capacity, reviewing existing capacity and planned projects, with some projects yet to start being postponed. These changes reflect that the energy storage industry is transitioning from a phase of rapid capacity expansion to one of supply-demand structural optimization. Strengthened management of new capacity is expected to ease future supply pressure and improve supply-demand expectations, while competition will increasingly focus on product performance, cost control, customer structure, and overseas expansion capabilities.

CITIC Securities

CITIC Securities notes that as AI data centers (AIDC) develop toward the hundred-megawatt and gigawatt scale, single-cabinet power continues to rise, accelerating the restructuring of traditional data center power supply and cooling systems. Energy storage is evolving from traditional backup power to load smoothing, grid-friendly operation, and energy regulation, while liquid cooling is upgrading from a single cooling device to an intelligent thermal management system. AIDC infrastructure is shifting from traditional supporting facilities to an integrated system of computing power, electricity, energy storage, and liquid cooling.

CICC

CICC states that energy storage companies have a clear trend toward overseas expansion in the first half of 2026, driving segment performance growth. The firm is optimistic about the medium- to long-term growth potential of the energy storage market, but short-term volatility will reshape the industry's competitive landscape. For large-scale storage: from January to August 2026, the number of projects remained flat year-on-year, but project quality improved. Domestic energy storage project准入 standards have been raised, significantly reducing the number of ineffective projects compared to last year. Overseas, energy transition demand is accelerating energy storage project construction, with both developed and developing countries advancing in tandem.

Source References:

• Xiangcai Securities, "Power Equipment Industry: Energy Storage Cell Price Adjustments and New Capacity Controls Expected to Improve Industry Supply-Demand Dynamics", September 13, 2026
• CITIC Securities, "Batteries: Huawei Connect Conference Launches New AIDC Energy Infrastructure Products, Accelerating Upgrades in Energy Storage and Liquid Cooling", September 19, 2026
• CICC, "Power Electrical Equipment Energy Storage Industry: Strong Demand Drives Performance Growth, Profit Differentiation Reveals True Strength", September 9, 2026

Note: The views expressed in this article are from licensed securities institutions and do not constitute investment advice. They do not represent the views of this platform. Investors should make independent judgments and decisions.