(Yicai) April 15 -- More than 500 energy storage companies have attended this year's Energy Storage International Conference and Expo in Beijing, up about 60 percent from a year earlier.

The Beijing Energy Storage Expo, held between April 10 and April 13, is the largest exhibition on new energy this year, with a display area of 150,000 square meters and about 200,000 professionals attending the event. Both figures increased about 60 percent from last year's edition.

It is clear that all products on display, from battery cells to systems, will be highly homogeneous, Zhang Jianhui, chairman and general manager of electric vehicle battery system solutions provider HyperStrong Technology, said at the Beijing Energy Storage Expo's opening ceremony.

One of the main trends of the industry was increasing the size of energy storage battery cells, with the capacity of mass-produced energy storage battery cells up to over 300 amperes from 280 Ah, Yicai learned from exhibitors at the expo.

Many Chinese companies, including Rept Battero Energy, Envision Energy's subsidiary Automotive Energy Supply, Sunwoda Electronic, Trina Storage, and Contemporary Amperex Technology, started the mass production and delivery of nearly 30 types of 300-Ah energy storage battery cells, Yicai learned.

"It is expected that battery cells with a capacity of 314 Ah will start production in the second half of the year and become mainstream in the coming years, replacing those with a capacity of 280 Ah," said Wu Dianfeng, product center general manager at Chinese photovoltaic giant Jinko Solar.

"This year, the top 10 energy storage system integrators will seize a market share of over 80 percent," the Gaogong Industry Institute said.

China's new energy storage market will face oversupply, with the competition in the energy storage system integration business expected to become more intense than in that for battery cells, the Gaogong Industry Institute noted, adding that over 50 percent of energy storage system companies will likely exit the market.

The competition in the energy storage industry led to a significant drop in prices, according to the Gaogong Industry Institute. The weighted average quotation for four-hour energy storage systems was 56 Chinese cents per watt-hour (7 US cents per Wh) last month, down 60 percent from the beginning of last year.

"I am not worried about the internal competition in the energy storage industry," said Tian Qingjun, senior vice president of Envision Energy. "Instead, this proves the energy storage industry is vibrant and flourishing."

The logic behind the price reduction is still technological innovation and product innovation, Tian noted, adding that price cuts allow previously undeveloped resources to be developed, naturally maturing the market.

Editor: Futura Costaglione