Aluminum maker plans 2 GWh battery as China’s biggest C&I storage system

Tianjin Lishen Battery Co. and its Wuhan Lishen Power Battery System Technology Co. subsidiary have announced a strategic collaboration with the Guizhou Huaren New Materials Co. venture of state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd. (Chalco).

The agreement concerns the development of a large-scale, 660 MW/2 GWh energy storage project at Huaren’s electrolytic aluminum industrial park in Guiyang city, capital of Guizhou province.

The project, which will feature Lishen’s proprietary 3.72 MWh containerized energy storage solutions, is expected to help Huaren New Materials save around CNY 200 million ($27.6 million) in annual electricity costs, making the site the largest commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage system in China’s manufacturing sector.

Guizhou Huaren New Materials was established by Chalco and the government of Guizhou and specializes in aluminum and related metal refining and the production and sale of aluminum deep processing products. The company is ranked among the top 100 enterprises and manufacturers in the province and has annual electricity consumption of 6.5 TWh.

Founded in 1997, Tianjin Lishen Battery is a state-controlled enterprise focused on lithium-ion battery research, development, and production. With an annual production capacity of 31 GWh for lithium-ion batteries, Lishen has become a leader in energy storage solutions. This latest project follows several other energy storage initiatives including a recent collaboration with state-owned China National Materials Group for a joint marine energy storage base, launched in October 2024.