In the first quarter of 2026, Chinese energy storage companies maintained strong momentum in their overseas expansion. According to incomplete statistics from TrendForce, the total volume of new overseas orders signed by domestic energy storage enterprises in Q1 2026 reached 71.03 GWh, which includes 12.48 GWh in battery orders and 58.55 GWh in energy storage system orders.
Lithium-Ion Dominates While Solid-State and Flow Batteries Make Diverse Inroads
From the perspective of technological pathways, lithium-ion remains the absolute mainstream, but diverse technologies have begun to penetrate the market. The majority of orders are still concentrated in lithium-ion battery energy storage systems, particularly for medium- and short-duration energy storage scenarios.
Notably, emerging technologies are also accelerating their development and gradually penetrating overseas markets. For instance, WeLion New Energy secured a 6 MWh semi-solid-state battery project order in Hungary, marking the entry of high-safety semi-solid-state technology into Europe. Meanwhile, the 600 MWh iron-chromium flow battery order obtained by Suqian Times in Germany proves that long-duration energy storage technologies are gradually gaining recognition in the international market.
Europe Remains a Solid Base While the Middle East and Africa Become a "New Blue Ocean"
Looking at regional markets, the global landscape shows a blooming, multifaceted pattern with distinct focuses. The differentiation in regional demand has driven the refinement of Chinese companies' overseas strategies.
European Market (19.71 GWh): Europe continues to be the largest market for the overseas expansion of Chinese enterprises. It not only covers major strongholds like the UK and Germany, but Eastern European countries such as Romania, Ukraine, and Bulgaria have also demonstrated explosive growth potential. Sieyuan Electric, Sungrow, Hyper Strong, REPT BATTERO, Hithium, and Trina Storage have all secured gigawatt-hour (GWh) level orders in this market. Among them, REPT BATTERO officially signed supply agreements with seven European partners, planning to deliver a total of 8.3 GWh in energy storage systems over the next two years.
Middle East and African Markets (18.3 GWh): Supported by national-level integrated solar-plus-storage projects, the Middle East and Africa region has achieved a rapid leap in scale. CORNEX New Energy performed exceptionally well in these markets, consecutively securing 5.5 GWh and 6 GWh energy storage system orders in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, respectively. Sungrow and Sieyuan Electric also landed GWh-level projects in South Africa and Oman.
Americas and Asia-Pacific Markets: In the Americas, driven by ambitious clean energy goals, booming demand in the Chilean energy storage market has attracted giants like BYD and CATL to flood in. In the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China), Australia remains the core battleground for utility-scale and residential energy storage, with CATL and SolaX Power securing 2.4 GWh and 1 GWh energy storage system orders, respectively. Southeast Asia, on the other hand, is dominated by commercial and industrial (C&I) and microgrid projects, where individual order sizes are generally smaller.
Oligarchs Maintain Strength, Cross-Border Giants and Dark Horses Advance Side by Side
Furthermore, the landscape of overseas expansion is evolving from "top-tier dominance" to "tiered competition," forming a rich and well-stratified ecosystem.
Battery/Energy Storage Super Giants (CATL, BYD, Sungrow) Leading battery and energy storage enterprises remain the top choice for ultra-large global projects. CATL not only secured successive energy storage system orders in Australia and Chile but also signed a 10 GWh European energy storage project development agreement with UK-based Schroders Greencoat and Hong Kong private equity firm Lochpine Capital, agreeing to provide them with battery technology support. Relying on its deep accumulation of overseas channels, Sungrow swept up nearly 8 GWh of orders globally. This includes a strategic cooperation agreement worth over $1.8 billion signed with Scatec to supply 3.9 to 4 GWh of battery energy storage systems.
Photovoltaic (PV) Crossover Giants (Jinko, Trina, Canadian Solar) In recent years, the trend of solar-plus-storage integration has intensified. PV companies are leveraging their existing global sales channels and brand recognition to make significant strides in the energy storage sector. Canadian Solar, Jinko, and Trina Storage have all delivered impressive multi-GWh results. Additionally, LONGi, a new entrant to the energy storage industry, secured a 600 MWh order in Europe.
Emerging Mainstays and Niche Market Leaders (CORNEX New Energy, REPT BATTERO, Hithium, Sieyuan Electric, etc.) Besides top-tier companies, a group of emerging mainstays and leaders in niche sectors are rapidly breaking through, becoming crucial supporting forces for China's energy storage expansion abroad. Relying on solid product quality and precise localized operations, CORNEX New Energy secured 11.5 GWh in long-term agreement orders in the Middle East and African markets. Hithium signed long-term agreements for 5 GWh, and Sieyuan Electric also signed orders for 4.5 GWh of energy storage systems.
Overall, the overseas expansion of Chinese energy storage enterprises maintained high prosperity in the first quarter of 2026. It not only sustained high-level growth in scale but also demonstrated more diverse and mature characteristics in terms of technological pathways, regional distribution, and the competitive landscape.
Source：EnergyTrend
