Market research firm SNE Research has released its report on global lithium-ion battery energy storage system (ESS) shipments for the first half of 2026, along with a ranking of the world's top energy storage cell manufacturers. The data reveals that global shipments of energy storage lithium-ion batteries reached 461.3 GWh during this period, a substantial 71% increase year-over-year. For the first time, overseas markets accounted for more than half of total global shipments, while residential energy storage deliveries doubled year-over-year.
Where to begin
The regional demand landscape for global energy storage in the first half of 2026 has become notably diversified. The Chinese market shipped 202.5 GWh, up 49% year-over-year, solidifying its position as the world's largest single market. However, growth in North America, Europe, and other regions was faster, with a combined year-over-year increase of 119%, boosting their market share to 23.9%. Shipments to North America and Europe grew by 83% and 74%, respectively, accounting for 16.5% and 15.8% of the global market. The surge in demand from overseas regions, driven by a concentrated boom in energy storage projects across various countries, caused China's global share to drop from 50.5% in the same period last year to 43.9%. The deployment of numerous large-scale energy storage projects in emerging markets such as the Middle East and Australia served as the primary source of growth in overseas shipments.
By application scenario, grid-side energy storage remains the largest segment, with shipments of 347.0 GWh, representing 75.2% of global total shipments. Residential energy storage shipments soared from 20.9 GWh to 47.7 GWh, a massive 128% year-over-year increase, making it the fastest-growing segment among the three major applications. Its share of the market rose from 7.7% to 10.3%. Commercial and industrial energy storage shipments grew from 24.9 GWh to 39.6 GWh, up 59% year-over-year. As North America and Europe have successively implemented trade controls and local supply chain support policies, the criteria for selecting manufacturers have shifted beyond just price. Supply chain stability, local production capacity, and compliance qualifications are becoming increasingly important factors.
Competitive landscape of global manufacturers
All major energy storage cell manufacturers saw shipment increases in the first half of the year, but the growth rates varied depending on each company's overseas expansion and focus on specific market segments. CATL shipped 125.0 GWh, securing the top position. Its global market share rose from 25.6% to 27.1%, supported by stable domestic demand and successful bids for large-scale grid-side energy storage projects overseas. EVE Energy shipped 48 GWh, and Hithium shipped 46.2 GWh, placing them in second and third place, respectively, with a slim difference of just 1.8 GWh between them. While shipments from CALB and Gotion increased, their growth rates fell below the industry average of 71%, causing their market shares to decline by 0.9 and 1.0 percentage points, respectively. Manufacturers with a strong focus on overseas markets significantly outperformed the industry average: Great Power saw a 202% year-over-year increase, LG Energy Solution surged by 357%, and AESC grew by 111%.
Overall, in the first half of 2026, Chinese cell manufacturers continued to dominate the top positions in the rankings, while the gap in shipment volumes among mid-tier manufacturers continued to narrow. Cornex ranked seventh with 30.2 GWh in shipments, a volume very close to that of CALB (31.5 GWh) and REPT (31.4 GWh). Competition for the fifth through seventh positions has become intense. At the same time, market concentration among the top players has slightly increased: the combined market share of the top three companies—CATL, EVE Energy, and Hithium—rose from 45.8% to 47.5%. The combined share of the remaining manufacturers contracted from 9.9% to 7.0%.
SNE Research also released specific data on energy storage application scenarios for the first half of 2026. Grid-side energy storage shipments grew by 69% year-over-year. CATL led with a 30% market share, followed by Hithium (13%), EVE Energy (10%), BYD (9%), and CALB (8%). The top five companies collectively held nearly 69% of the market share in this segment. Cornex and AESC also emerged as key suppliers, with market shares of 8% and 6%, respectively. Grid-side energy storage remains the largest application scenario, accounting for 75.2% of total global shipments, a slight decrease from 76.2% in the same period last year, reflecting the faster growth in residential and commercial & industrial energy storage. The upcoming bidding and deployment of a large number of major energy storage projects in the second half of the year is expected to reshape the market share landscape for grid-side manufacturers.
Commercial and industrial energy storage shipments grew by 59% year-over-year. CATL maintained its top position with a 35% market share, REPT followed with a 14% share, BYD held 10%, Gotion had 6%, and CALB also had 6%. CATL and REPT together accounted for nearly 49% of the market, firmly controlling the core supply for domestic commercial and industrial energy storage.
In the first half of 2026, the residential energy storage market surged by 128% year-over-year, leading the growth rate across all three major application scenarios and also exhibiting the highest market concentration. REPT maintained its dominant position with a 32% market share, followed by EVE Energy at 25% and Great Power at 23%. The top three companies collectively captured 80% of the market, a level of concentration significantly higher than in the grid-side and commercial & industrial energy storage segments. Leveraging stable customer channels and robust delivery capabilities, REPT holds a clear competitive advantage in the residential energy storage segment.
Why only 10 ASX 200 shares?
Trend 1: Global demand diversification, with overseas markets becoming the primary growth driver. China remains the single largest energy storage market, but its global share has slightly declined. The combined shipment volume of North America, Europe, and other emerging regions has exceeded that of domestic China for the first time. Coupled with stringent trade barriers and local production capacity requirements from Europe and the US, future energy storage project owners will no longer consider only purchase price when selecting suppliers. Supply chain stability, localized production capabilities, and policy compliance with various countries will become core evaluation criteria.
Trend 2: Balanced development across application scenarios, with grid-side energy storage remaining a major track. In the first half of this year, industry demand structure diversified from a sole reliance on grid-side storage to include residential and commercial & industrial energy storage. The share of residential energy storage exceeded 10% for the first time. Commercial and industrial storage grew by 59% year-over-year. While grid-side storage is still the largest segment, its share slightly decreased by 1 percentage point. With the massive construction of global data centers and the continuous expansion of new energy installations driving demand for grid frequency regulation and stability control, supply for specific cell specifications and large-scale storage projects is tightening. Some project developers are now choosing to lock in orders in advance to secure supply.
Trend 3: Strengthening advantages for top players, intensifying competition in the mid-tier. Market share continues to concentrate among leading manufacturers. CATL's market share has surpassed 27%, and the combined share of the top three companies increased by 1.7 percentage points. However, the shipment gap among manufacturers ranked fifth and below is only about 1 GWh, making the rankings highly susceptible to changes based on winning large projects or quarterly delivery volumes. With multiple rounds of tenders for large-scale energy storage projects expected in the second half of the year, the rankings of companies below the fifth position could shift.
Trend 4: High growth and high concentration in the residential energy storage segment. Residential energy storage was the fastest-growing and most concentrated segment in the first half of the year, with its market share officially crossing the 10% threshold. The top three manufacturers captured 80% of the market, a stark contrast to the 69% concentration held by the top five in the grid-side segment. Driven by REPT's continued leadership in the residential storage track, the recovery of European household energy storage demand, and rising adoption of residential storage in China, it is expected that residential energy storage will remain a core growth segment in the second half of the year.
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