On November 26, CGN New Energy issued a tender announcement for the framework procurement of energy storage systems for 2025. The procurement is divided into seven sections, with an estimated total capacity of 10.5 GWh. Among these, 1-3 sections are grid-forming systems totaling 4.5 GWh, while sections 4-7 are grid-following systems totaling 6 GWh.
Recently, besides CGN New Energy, PowerChina and Huaneng Group also released their energy storage system procurement plans for 2025. PowerChina plans to procure 16 GWh in total, while Huaneng Group estimates a procurement volume of 4 GWh. Combined, these three companies are expected to generate a demand of 30.5 GWh for energy storage systems in 2025.
For energy storage system integrators, is this good news? From a market demand perspective, procurement announcements by these three giants serve as leading indicators, reflecting robust demand for energy storage systems in 2025. However, framework and centralized procurement tenders are often viewed as strategies for enterprises to avoid frequent small-batch, multi-variety purchases. These methods aim to streamline procurement processes and secure pricing leverage through bulk purchasing. As a result, the primary beneficiaries are usually the tendering companies themselves.
Moreover, based on the details of the tender announcements from the three giants, the thresholds for framework and centralized procurement have risen compared to previous years. For example, CGN New Energy’s latest tender explicitly states that second-life batteries and inventory batteries (produced more than 90 days ago) are not accepted. The entire process, including production, assembly, and delivery, must be supervised by a third party, and only single-string or double-string battery cluster solutions are allowed. Similarly, PowerChina’s 2025-2026 energy storage system procurement notice stipulates that battery production dates must not exceed three months before actual delivery and that energy storage battery systems supplied in the past three years must have had no fire incidents (with bidders required to provide relevant assurances).
These requirements not only ensure the quality of tendered products but also effectively exclude energy storage system integrators lacking core technologies. From the perspective of market competition, as higher tender thresholds become a consensus among project owners, industry reshuffling and intensifying competition are likely to accelerate.
In summary, while higher tender thresholds may intensify competition, they ultimately benefit the industry by driving out weaker players, fostering healthy development, and ensuring quality standards are met.
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