When the waves of the Yangtze River meet the glow of lithium, Yibin, China's «power battery capital,» welcomes the gaze of the world for the fifth time.
On September 3, the 2026 World Power Battery Conference officially opened in Yibin. This edition adopts the «1+1+8+N» activity framework: an opening ceremony, a plenary session, eight thematic meetings, and numerous side events. Spain is taking on the role of guest country of honor for the first time, and more than 800 people, including leaders, academics, experts, and business representatives, are gathering in Yibin.
Speech by Marta Betanzos Roig, Ambassador of Spain to China
Marta Betanzos Roig, Ambassador of Spain to China, delivered a speech as an international guest. She noted that Chinese investment in Spain is shifting from a focus on commerce to long-term industrial projects, and that cooperation in the automotive and propulsion battery sectors is occupying an increasingly prominent position. Taking advantage of this conference, Spain also hopes to become an industrial and technological partner for Chinese companies, rather than just a market.
He mentioned that the gigafactory that CATL and the Stellantis group are jointly building in Figueruelas, Zaragoza, Spain, has an announced investment of 4.1 billion euros and an annual capacity capable of covering the battery needs of approximately one million vehicles. In addition, Chery and the Ebro group are collaborating in Barcelona, with a total project investment of 532 million euros and the direct creation of more than a thousand jobs.
Thematic speech by Yin Tongyue, Party Secretary and Chairman of Chery Holding Group
Yin Tongyue, Party Secretary and Chairman of Chery Holding Group, delivered a keynote speech. He pointed out that for Chery, CATL is its largest battery partner, and Yibin is its most important smart manufacturing base in the southwest. Currently, in the manufacturing sector, the proportion of green electricity in Chery's production bases nationwide already exceeds 52%, with more than half of the electricity used in production coming from solar and wind energy. Driving the greening of the entire value chain is a major goal for Chery during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Looking ahead to the next generation of battery technologies, Chery will uphold the principle of «advancing multiple solutions simultaneously and installing nothing in the vehicle that is not sufficiently safe.» Its Rhino battery is a product of this principle.
Thematic speech by Ouyang Minggao, member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ouyang Minggao, a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a keynote speech. He pointed out that in 2025, China's installed capacity of power batteries reached 769 GWh, a year-on-year growth of 40%. In 2025, among the top ten global power battery companies by installed capacity, China took six spots, with a cumulative installed capacity of 70%. In 2025, China's total shipments of lithium-ion batteries were approximately 1,875 GWh, with a year-on-year growth of 53%, accounting for more than 80% of the global total. It is projected that by 2030, China's shipments of lithium-ion batteries will exceed 3,600 GWh, thus doubling the growth of China's lithium battery industry.
He pointed out that the development of lithium propulsion batteries in China presents three major trends. The first is battery safety throughout its entire life cycle: on July 1, 2026, the mandatory national standard «Safety Requirements for Electric Vehicle Traction Batteries» (GB38031-2025), known in the industry as «the strictest battery safety order in history,» will enter into force, setting higher demands for safety. The second is the application of AI across the entire industrial chain: the technological revolution of artificial intelligence is about to transform the battery R&D paradigm, production methods, and usage modes. Intelligent management of the entire life cycle through AI large models is imperative, and in the future, smart batteries based on implantable sensors will drive the application of AI to a new level. The third is greening and low carbon emissions throughout the entire life cycle: in 2024, the retired propulsion battery market already exceeded 48 billion yuan, and is projected to exceed 100 billion by 2030, generating a huge recycling market. In addition, with the increase in the proportion of green electricity, carbon emissions from the full life cycle of cathode material production can be significantly reduced, gradually moving toward near-zero emissions across the entire life cycle.
At the conference, the Green Supply Chain Construction Action for the Battery Industry and the Zero-Emission Transportation Corridor Construction along National Highway 318 in Sichuan were officially launched, setting new directions for the global green development of power batteries.
On the very day of the inauguration, the Power Battery Application Ecosystem Exhibition, spanning over 50,000 square meters, also opened with the participation of 205 companies from countries such as Spain, the United States, France, and Germany. The venue features eight major exhibition zones: the «15th Five-Year Plan» Industrial Development Planning Exhibition Zone, the Power Battery and Materials Industrial Chain Theme Pavilion, the International Zone, the Energy Storage Zone, the 2026 «Jiangyuan Cup» Embodied Intelligence Theme Zone, the Low-Altitude Economy Zone, the New Energy Vehicles Zone, and the Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing and Recycling Zone. Here, visitors can view cutting-edge technologies for next-generation power batteries, new energy storage systems, and battery recycling, as well as experience new sensations offered by DJI drones and embodied intelligence robots. In addition, 3 million yuan in car consumption vouchers are being distributed, allowing visitors to both view and test-drive cars, which greatly enhances the educational, entertaining, and interactive nature of the event.
Since its establishment in Yibin in 2022, the World Power Battery Conference has been held here for five consecutive editions. In just a few years, Yibin's power battery industry has achieved skyrocketing growth, surging from an output value of less than 2 billion yuan to breaking the 100 billion yuan barrier. Each edition of this event has built bridges of communication, continuously exporting Chinese wisdom and Yibin's strength in the development of the power battery industry.
Source: SICHUAN MEDIA GROUP
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