# CATL and IRENA Launch 'Energy Storage\+' Report, Promote Global Energy Storage Initiative at 2026 World Energy Storage Conference

At the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference in Ningde, China, on October 15, CATL, as a core co-author, and the International Renewable Energy Agency \(IRENA\) released the simplified version of the report "Key Support for Energy Transition: The 'Energy Storage\+' Paradigm under Cross-Sector Collaboration" and jointly promoted the Global Energy Storage Initiative \(GIFES\)\.

By China EV Signal
Published: 2026-10-17T02:27:26.897Z
Updated: 2026-10-17T02:27:26.898Z
Canonical article: https://chinaevsignal.com/news/catl-irena-energy-storage-plus-report-gifes-2026

## Key takeaways

- CATL and IRENA released the simplified report "Key Support for Energy Transition: The 'Energy Storage\+' Paradigm under Cross-Sector Collaboration" at the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference on October 15 in Ningde, China\.
- IRENA led the compilation of the report, with CATL as a core company joining more than ten international authoritative institutions; the report introduces the "Energy Storage\+" concept\.
- GIFES has gathered 21 international power generation groups, industry organizations and large asset management companies, covering markets in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa\.

## Report Release in Ningde

CATL and the International Renewable Energy Agency \(IRENA\) released the simplified version of the report "Key Support for Energy Transition: The 'Energy Storage\+' Paradigm under Cross-Sector Collaboration" at the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference in Ningde, China, on October 15\. CATL participated as a core co-author\. The two organizations also jointly promoted the Global Energy Storage Initiative \(GIFES\) at the event\.

IRENA led the compilation of the report, with CATL as a core company joining more than ten international authoritative institutions\. The report introduces the "Energy Storage\+" concept\. Irina Radoslavova Stefanova, Director of the IRENA Coalition for Action, presented the report's core content at the release\.

## Four 'Energy Storage\+' Application Directions

The report sets out four application directions for "Energy Storage\+": storage plus the grid, storage plus AI, storage plus transportation, and storage plus industry\.

In the grid direction, grid-forming technology supports continuous and reliable power supply and strengthens power system resilience\. In the AI direction, paired storage supports renewable power supply for AI data centers, smooths sharp fluctuations in computing loads and protects grid infrastructure\. In transportation, vehicle-to-grid \(V2G\) interaction enables flexible load adjustment, and electric vessels support deeper emissions cuts in shipping\. In industry, microgrids serve as the basis for zero-carbon parks, zero-carbon islands and other 100% green power units\.

## Four Core Recommendations

The report makes four core recommendations for the institutional support needed to scale "Energy Storage\+"\. They are: establishing storage's status as an independent asset so it can participate fairly in power markets; unifying global technical standards and promoting mutual recognition across industries; broadening diversified revenue mechanisms covering energy arbitrage, capacity support and ancillary services; and strengthening global coordination on supply chains, cross-sector talent development and regulatory cooperation\.

CATL said it will work with upstream and downstream partners to advance safe, reliable, cost-effective and sustainable large-scale deployment of "Energy Storage\+" application scenarios\.

## GIFES Membership and Roundtable

GIFES has gathered 21 international mainstream power generation groups, industry organizations and large asset management companies, with business covering markets in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa\.

A roundtable on innovative zero-carbon applications of "Energy Storage\+" was held during the conference\. Participants discussed large-scale storage safety, global standards development, power market mechanisms, aggregation of distributed resources, island energy systems and project risk protection\. Participants included Wu Wei, Director of Market System and Energy Storage Business at CATL; Lin Zhenyu, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Energy Storage Alliance; Zhang Yulong, General Manager of Energy Storage Business at State Grid Integrated Energy; Song Jinpeng, Director of the Energy Storage Industry Innovation Center at State Power Investment Corporation; and Yu Zhenhua, Executive Vice Chairman of the China Energy Storage Alliance\.

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## Original publisher

宁德时代. Published: 2026-10-16T10:20:18.000Z