China boosts energy storage as renewables expand

Policymakers bet on dramatic fall in cost of storage batteries this decade

China wants to bulk up its ability to store electricity generated by renewables, as the world’s largest energy consumer prepares for a future in which batteries back up wind and solar power, to replace coal as the primary source of baseload power. China had connected a cumulative 290GW and 260GW of wind and solar power capacity respectively to the grid by the end of March, according to the China Renewable Energy Monitoring Centre. The country has made good progress on curbing wastage of renewable energy, with a 96pc utilisation rate for wind power in the first three months, rising to 97.5pc for solar. 65GW – China’s targeted energy storage capacity by 2025 But the low rates of curtai