Energy storage, as an important support for building a new type of power system, plays a crucial role in improving the system friendliness of new energy sources, improving load demand characteristics, and promoting the large-scale and high-quality development of new energy.

Energy storage has technological advantages such as rapid response, bidirectional regulation, and strong environmental adaptability. Its large-scale application will have a significant impact on energy transformation, grid layout, and power structure. To accelerate the construction of a new type of power system, energy storage is needed to complement conventional power sources, improve the regulation ability and flexibility of the power system.

The configuration of energy storage on the new energy generation side can improve the grid connection regulation capacity of new energy generation and the utilization efficiency of grid equipment.

Conventional thermal power configuration with energy storage can improve regulation performance and operational flexibility, promoting safe and efficient operation of the power grid.

The configuration of energy storage on the power grid side can optimize the power grid structure, solve power grid congestion, enhance power grid regulation capacity, assist in frequency regulation and peak shaving, and improve the overall safety level and utilization efficiency of the power grid.

The configuration of energy storage in the distribution network can delay the transformation and upgrading of the distribution network, ensure the power supply requirements of important loads, and improve the consumption capacity of distributed new energy.

User side configuration of energy storage can reduce the peak valley difference of the power grid and alleviate the tension between supply and demand in local power grids.

Energy storage mainly includes two types: pumped storage and new energy storage. Among them, pumped storage is currently the most mature and cost-effective energy storage technology, suitable for large-scale development and construction. New energy storage refers to various energy storage technologies that use electricity as the main output form, in addition to pumped storage, including lithium-ion batteries, flow batteries, flywheels, compressed air, hydrogen (ammonia) energy storage, thermal (cold) energy storage, etc. New energy storage can form different complementary functions with pumped storage on the source side, grid side, and load side, jointly providing support for the construction of new power systems.

The new energy storage has flexible site selection, short construction period, fast response, and diverse application scenarios. In recent years, the development speed of new energy storage technologies in the country has been continuously improving, with significant improvements in energy density, power density, and cycle life. Safety prevention and control technologies and measures have also been continuously improved. The energy density of lithium-ion batteries for energy storage has more than doubled compared to 10 years ago, and the power density has increased by about 50%. Currently, a relatively complete industrial chain has been formed; Technologies such as flow batteries, sodium ion batteries, compressed air energy storage, and flywheel energy storage are developing rapidly.

According to the Implementation Plan for the Development of New Energy Storage during the 14th Five Year Plan period (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Plan"), by 2025, new energy storage will enter the stage of large-scale development from the initial stage of commercialization and have the conditions for large-scale commercial application; By 2030, the comprehensive market-oriented development of new energy storage will be achieved.

The Implementation Plan proposes to increase the research and development efforts of key technological equipment. Continuously optimize the construction layout, promote the integration and development of new energy storage and various aspects of the power system, and support the construction of new power systems. Intensify efforts to develop new energy storage on the power supply side, develop new energy storage on the power grid side according to local conditions, flexibly and diversely develop new energy storage on the user side, and carry out diversified applications of new energy storage.

Pumped storage is the most widely used and technologically mature in large-scale energy storage, with installed capacity of power stations reaching the gigawatt level.