Energy storage manufacturer HiTHIUM has started mass production at its integrated long-duration energy storage (LDES) industrial park in Heze, Shandong Province. Covering approximately 80 hectares, the project involves a planned investment of more than RMB 13 billion across LFP battery cell manufacturing, module and system integration, new material production, and upstream raw material processing.
Phases I and II are now fully operational, supporting the large-scale production of 1,000 Ah-class products for LDES. According to HiTHIUM, the facility is the world's first integrated industrial park dedicated exclusively to long-duration energy storage.
The park uses HiTHIUM's 5th generation intelligent manufacturing lines, with single-line capacity exceeding 15 GWh and an automation rate of more than 95%. The company says the lines reduce production manpower by 58% and manufacturing energy consumption by 13% compared with the previous generation, while improving efficiency by 200%.
HiTHIUM also signed strategic agreements on financing and project development with several banks and supply chain partners at the ceremony.
Earlier this year, HiTHIUM’s Chongqing base was listed in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Lighthouse Factory list (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Solar cell and module manufacturer Jinergy has fully resumed production at its Shanxi TOPCon cell facility following technical process optimization. The upgrades covered 8 production lines and 7 processes, including texturing and metallization.
The company expects the upgrades to increase cell conversion efficiency by 0.15 percentage points to 25.75% and improve mass production yield by 0.3 percentage points. Silver paste consumption per cell is also expected to fall by 5%.
Jinergy said production for existing cell orders is scheduled through mid-September and that it has completed business coordination with overseas customers including PT Green Vision Solar and First Holding Group.
Jinergy is currently represented in the PERC and HJT categories on the TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES listing (see TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing – July 2026).
Market research agency InfoLink Consulting has reported global energy storage cell shipments of 467.84 GWh in the first half of 2026, up 94.76% year-on-year (YoY). CATL, HiTHIUM, EVE Energy, BYD, and CALB ranked as the top 5 suppliers, with a combined market share of 56.5%.
Large-scale energy storage cell shipments reached 402.36 GWh. CATL, HiTHIUM, BYD, CALB, and EVE Energy were the top 5 suppliers, while the share of 500 Ah-plus cells exceeded 10%. InfoLink said 587/588 Ah cells are becoming mainstream, with the industry moving toward 648 Ah products.
Small-scale energy storage cell shipments reached 65.48 GWh, up 202.57% YoY, led by EVE Energy, Great Power, and REPT BATTERO. Residential storage cells are shifting from 100 Ah to 314 Ah, with 392 Ah cells also being explored. InfoLink forecasts total global energy storage cell shipments of 1,026 GWh in 2026.
The Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission has released its 2026 construction plan for onshore wind and solar power, covering 1.79 GW of planned capacity. The plan includes 1,453.85 MW of solar PV across 5 new projects and 1,420.73 MW transitioned from the 2025 plan, along with 345.31 MW of onshore wind capacity.
SPIC has the largest share among project owners at 648.12 MW of combined wind and solar capacity, followed by Shenergy with more than 500 MW.
Under the plan, onshore wind projects must receive final approval by June 2027, while solar projects must begin construction by the same date. The policy also encourages pilot projects for direct green power supply and allows power generation companies to invest in and build transmission infrastructure where grid operators face construction difficulties.
