As China becomes the world's largest new energy storage market, efforts are underway to tackle safety challenges that have emerged with the sector's rapid scaling.

Industry leaders and experts convened in Ningde City in east China's Fujian Province from Tuesday to Thursday for the World Energy Storage Conference 2025, where they discussed market prospects and advancements in safety technology in the global energy storage industry.

According to an action plan recently issued by China's National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration, China has set a target of reaching 180 GW of installed energy storage capacity by 2027.

Speaking at the conference, Robin Zeng, chairman and CEO of the world's leading battery manufacturer CATL, said that the sector's growth must be sustainable. "Safety is the foundation of energy storage development. Any safety incident can undermine public trust," he added.

Data shows that as of May 2025, at least 167 fire or explosion incidents related to energy storage had been reported worldwide. In response, China has adopted an integrated approach, combining government policy, corporate innovation and academic research, to develop a safer battery ecosystem.

CATL, for example, has improved its battery technology to make failures extremely rare, reducing the likelihood of a battery malfunction to roughly one in a billion.

"We have built a multi-tier safety system," Zeng said. "All promises must be supported by data and scientific principles." He cited the Zhangbei energy storage project, which has operated safely for 15 years, as evidence of China's long-term commitment to reliability in the sector.

New firefighting technologies designed to tackle battery hazards are being deployed to ensure foolproof safety.

Zhuo Ping, director of the fourth research division at the Tianjin fire research institute under the Ministry of Emergency Management, shared findings from large-scale safety tests, noting that liquid nitrogen, an extremely cold gas, can extinguish a battery fire in just three seconds and effectively prevent reignition.

During the event, Zhu Guoqing, a professor at China University of Mining and Technology, introduced a novel fire-extinguishing gel with strong adhesive and cooling properties. "In full-scale tests, the gel prevented reignition for 96 hours," he said.

Advanced monitoring systems are also being widely promoted and adopted. Gold Electronic Equipment INC. demonstrated a battery management system that can detect electrolyte leakage within one to three seconds, much faster than traditional gas sensors.

China is also taking the lead in shaping global safety standards. Zhuo Ping noted that her team has contributed to the development of two ISO standards for energy storage safety ratings.

Moreover, China is investing in safer energy storage technologies. Wang Xiaoli, general manager of Dalian Rongke Power Co., Ltd., underscored the importance of vanadium flow batteries that use non-flammable aqueous electrolytes as a viable solution for long-duration energy storage. Sodium-ion batteries, which are also gaining recognition for their thermal stability, are on the cusp of commercial application.

"China has become an important engine for global energy storage development. Let us join hands to build a new industrial ecosystem that is oriented towards safety, authenticity and innovation," Zeng said.