IRENA and CATL Debut “Storage+” Paradigm, Promote Global Storage Initiative

At the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference, CATL, as a core contributor, partnered with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to release Key Support for the Energy Transition: The “Storage+” Paradigm Through Cross-Sector Collaboration (Brief Edition). The two also jointly promoted the Global Initiative for Energy Storage (GIFES), deepening global energy storage cooperation through cross-sector application innovation and international organization building.

01
First “Storage+” Paradigm Report Explores Diverse Decarbonization Paths

The report was led by IRENA and co-compiled by CATL as a core company together with more than ten international authoritative institutions. It is the industry’s first to propose the “Storage+” concept. At the launch, Irina Radoslavova Stefanova, director of the IRENA Action Alliance, introduced the report’s core content:

• Storage + Grid: Grid-forming technology ensures continuous and reliable power supply and strengthens power system resilience.

• Storage + AI: Storage supports renewable power for AI data centers (AIDCs), smooths severe fluctuations in computing loads, and protects grid infrastructure.

• Storage + Transport: V2G vehicle-grid interaction enables flexible, adjustable loads, while electric ships drive deep emissions cuts in shipping.

• Storage + Industry: Microgrids serve as carriers to build zero-carbon parks, zero-carbon islands and other 100% green power units, effectively reducing carbon.

During the conference, a “Storage+” Innovative Zero-Carbon Applications Roundtable was also held, covering large-scale storage safety, global standards development, power market mechanisms, distributed resource aggregation, island energy systems and project risk assurance.

For the mechanism safeguards needed to scale “Storage+”, the report offers four core recommendations: first, establish storage’s independent asset status so it can participate fairly in power markets; second, unify global technical standards and promote mutual recognition across industries; third, broaden diversified revenue mechanisms, including energy arbitrage, capacity support and ancillary services; fourth, strengthen global coordination and deepen supply chain, cross-sector talent and regulatory cooperation.

02
Jointly Promoting GIFES to Fill a Global Multilateral Platform Gap

As a pioneering platform that fills the gap in global multilateral industry organizations for energy storage, GIFES aims to build a bridge for exchange and collaboration among the global storage industry, policy and market. It has already brought together 21 leading international power generation groups, industry organizations and large asset management companies, with operations covering Europe and the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

As “Storage+” applications expand, storage has gradually moved from a supporting facility for new energy into indispensable new infrastructure for power systems. In the future, CATL said it will work with upstream and downstream partners to promote safe, reliable, cost-effective and sustainable large-scale deployment of “Storage+” application scenarios.

Edit by paco

Last Update:2026-10-17 09:01:45