China's first lithium-sodium hybrid station powers 270,000 homes with green energy
On Sunday, its first lithium-sodium hybrid energy storage station began operation, marking a major step toward hybrid battery storage at scale.
Located in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Baochi Energy Storage Station (BESS) combines the strengths of lithium and sodium-ion batteries.
The hybrid system offers longer cycle life, faster response, and stable performance across temperatures ranging from -20°C to 45°C, according to Science and Technology Daily.
Thanks to China's abundant sodium resources, the setup also provides a more cost-effective solution for large-scale energy storage, the Global Times reported.
Sprawling across about 50 mu (3.3 hectares), roughly the size of five football fields, the facility has an installed capacity of 400 megawatt-hours. It can complete two full charge-discharge cycles daily, delivering up to 580 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This amount is enough to power nearly 270,000 households each year.
Nearly 98 percent of the energy comes from renewable sources.
At the core of BESS is China's first large-capacity sodium-ion battery system, which responds six times faster than conventional models. By coupling these advanced sodium batteries with mature lithium technology, the station enhances grid regulation and ensures smoother integration of wind and solar power.
The hybrid system serves more than 30 renewable energy plants across Yunnan, a province where clean energy accounts for nearly 70 percent of the power supply. With such a high share of renewables, grid stability becomes a major concern, making innovations like BESS essential for balancing supply and demand.
"The station serves over 30 wind and solar power plants in Yunnan. The lithium-sodium hybrid technology enables more stable integration of large-scale renewables into the power grid and supports future participation in electricity market trading," Wu Bin, deputy manager of the Baochi Energy Storage Station project, told CCTV News.
The system can flexibly adjust its charging and discharging modes based on the availability of new energy to help balance the volatility of renewables.
It has potential applications in regions with high shares of renewable energy in China—such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Ningxia—where it can support the stable delivery of power from renewable bases located in deserts, the Gobi, and other wasteland areas.
As demand for lithium surges globally, concerns about resource constraints and import dependency are mounting. China currently imports about 70 percent of its lithium battery materials.
In contrast, sodium—sourced from salt lakes, seawater, and mines—is far more abundant available domestically and have more favorable properties, including stable operation across a 45 C temperature range.
"Seventy percent of the production materials of lithium batteries in China come from overseas, making the production highly dependent on imports. The raw materials of sodium batteries can be extracted from salt mines, seawater, and salt lakes. The sodium resources of the Qarhan Salt Lake alone are 500 times the global lithium resources," Chen Man, a member of the National Electric Energy Storage Technical Committee, was quoted by CCTV news as saying.
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07/18/2025, Beijing, China // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // 'Promoting sustainable development,' 'opposing unilateral trade measures,' and 'upholding multilateralism' have emerged as some of the key words at the just-concluded 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The international community closely watched the summit, viewing the expanded BRICS as gaining greater weight and influence, and believing that the enlarged grouping will be better positioned to uphold multilateralism and push for improving global governance. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, presenting both opportunities and challenges for emerging markets and developing countries. 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Migunova: In Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, President Xi elaborates on cooperation with the Global South through several key concepts, which fully reflect China's commitment to promoting a multipolar world, mutually beneficial development, and offering a development option and strategic direction distinct from Western hegemonic models, with these principles forming an important component of China's contemporary foreign policy. The concept that resonates with me most is the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. This concept is profoundly rich and difficult to summarize in just a few words, but I believe its core lies in rejecting the condescending, hegemonic approach and 'civilizational posturing' of the West. China emphasizes equal partnerships and mutually beneficial cooperation, advocating for joint development without imposing political conditions. This stands in stark contrast to Western practices that often tie economic aid to forced democratic reforms or arbitrarily interpreted human rights standards. Moreover, China consistently upholds the principle of mutual benefit and cooperation. This approach manifests in multiple ways – from boosting local economies through infrastructure development to creating complementary win-win synergies by pairing Chinese technology with Global South industries. The core philosophy moves beyond one-way assistance to shared growth, embodying the Chinese wisdom: 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.' Another key concept is the 'new type of international relations,' embodying China's vision for a multipolar world that prioritizes cooperation over confrontation. This principle guides China's foreign policy. 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How do you interpret this principle? In contrast to exclusive cliques led by certain nations, how does BRICS collaboration in economic, cultural and other domains exemplify this approach? Migunova: President Xi is well-versed in the essence of Chinese traditional culture, often citing ancient famous sayings that embody ancient wisdom. The principle of 'regarding righteousness as the greatest interest' signifies that China's foreign policy is not driven by short-term profit-seeking but is rooted in the millennia-old Confucian ideal of 'noble conduct.' This profound philosophy indicates that China's cooperation with BRICS countries is built on a solid moral foundation, differing from Western models not only in economic terms but also in worldview. In Chinese culture, the concept of 'righteousness' permeates all aspects. 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Additionally, establishing dedicated scholarships to train African youth elites fosters long-term trust-building through talent development. GT: At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, President Xi said, 'We should build a BRICS committed to innovation, and we must all act as pioneers of high-quality development.' In recent years, China has proposed a series of initiatives to promote technological cooperation among Global South nations, such as China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development and Cooperation Center. How do you assess the role that China is playing in advancing innovation among BRICS countries? How does this contribute to economic transformation and sustainable development in the broader Global South? Migunova: China has played a vital strategic role for technological advancement within BRICS, driving cooperation, integration and development through multiple channels. As a key integrator of technology value chains, China actively promotes the construction of joint innovation infrastructure. Notable examples include initiatives proposed in 2025, such as the BRICS+ Alliance of Science and Technology Innovation platform, which have gained support and aim to integrate member states' resources, conduct joint R&D, and establish laboratories. China is a global leader in renewable energy, smart grid systems, and energy storage technologies, providing strong support for BRICS' technological advancement. A prime example is the climate-monitoring satellite program jointly developed with Brazil, which demonstrates China's firm commitment to sustainable development and technological sovereignty. China also prioritizes youth engagement in innovation, facilitating in-depth exchanges in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and smart agriculture through platforms such as the BRICS Youth Innovation Summit. These initiatives enhance knowledge sharing and help cultivate high-caliber international youth innovation teams to jointly address global challenges. Unlike some nations that focus on financial speculation, China champions a real economy and innovation-driven growth model, strengthening its economic and technological sovereignty to navigate complex geopolitical challenges. This development path aligns with the strategic demand of BRICS countries, laying the solid material foundation for a multipolar world. Through open and inclusive tech collaboration, China has emerged as the key coordinator of BRICS innovation, accelerating the Global South's leapfrog progress in critical technologies. As the BRICS+ mechanism expands, China actively facilitates new members' integration, boosting the bloc's collective technological capacity. By linking innovation with global market needs, China helps BRICS countries gradually evolve into global innovation hubs—through resource sharing, infrastructure development, and a sustainable development model supported by the real economy. This offers the world a compelling alternative to Western-centric development models. GT: President Xi stated, 'In the face of new opportunities brought by new science and technology, every country has an equal right to development.' He stressed at the national science and technology conference in June 2024 that 'it is essential to materialize the idea of building a community of shared future for humanity to promote open cooperation in science and technology.' In your view, what are the potential areas for technological cooperation between China and the Global South? What makes China's open cooperation model attractive to Global South countries? Migunova: The science and technology partnership between China and Global South nations holds immense potential, particularly in strategic fields that address development priorities and overcome Western technological barriers. AI is a critical direction for cooperation. Through platforms like the China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center, China provides comprehensive support to Global South partners, including open-source algorithms, cloud computing services, and talent training, embodying the principle of 'teaching a man to fish.' Digital platform projects, such as digital corridors for trade and education, significantly enhance knowledge-sharing efficiency and logistical coordination, setting a new paradigm for South-South cooperation. At this year's BRICS Summit, how AI can better serve sustainable development was a key topic, with participating countries eager to jointly build a truly independent technological ecosystem. Undoubtedly, China's technological innovation strengths will make significant contributions to achieving this goal. Chinese companies are helping developing countries ride the wave of digitalization. Huawei and ZTE have assisted countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia in building 5G networks, with prospects for developing local digital ecosystems, such as smart cities in Nigeria and Indonesia. AI holds great promise for various applications, and Chinese technology is poised to make significant contributions in fields like agricultural algorithms, medical diagnostics, public health, and pharmaceuticals. China is driving South-South cooperation in transformative renewable energy, implementing solar, wind, hydropower and hydrogen projects in nations like Saudi Arabia, Brazil and South Africa. Similarly, in agriculture, China is helping Global South countries modernize their agricultural industry through its advanced farming, fishery and aquaculture technologies, and cooperation with countries such as Egypt and Vietnam has achieved noticeable outcomes. Beyond hardware provision, these partnerships focus on technology transfer, enabling nations to build indigenous capabilities through customized core technology solutions. What makes China's cooperation model uniquely attractive is its no-strings-attached approach. Institutions like the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provide accessible financing in developing countries. China also emphasizes local capacity-building—building factories, training workforces, and delivering complete operational solutions. This 'turnkey' approach effectively reduces partners' reliance on Western tech systems. Notably, China's technological cooperation is always aligned with societal needs, such as addressing hunger through digital agriculture or creating jobs through factory construction. This model enables Global South countries to safeguard sovereignty while quickly reaping the dual benefits of infrastructure and innovation. Amid global trade, technology, and political fragmentation, China contributes its wisdom and solutions to the development of the Global South. GT: The volume III of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China includes part of President Xi's speech at the BRICS Business Forum in 2018, in which he states, 'It is necessary to promote international development cooperation, urge developed countries to fulfill their promises on official development assistance and increase support to developing countries.' How do you evaluate China's role in promoting a just and equitable global governance system? What pathways can the Global South consider in building a more inclusive and sustainable multilateral framework? Migunova: China plays a unique and pivotal role in promoting global development exchanges, reflected both in pioneering cooperative initiatives and in concrete practical explorations. As a core driving force in the transformation and development of BRICS nations, the country has creatively built a bridge connecting developed and developing countries. China has championed global development on the G20 platform, with a focus on the Global South, to improve global governance and collaborate with developing nations in achieving modernization. The BRI exemplifies this approach, offering accessible financing that enables African and Latin American nations to participate more fully in global economic systems. China's investments in transportation and energy projects foster sustainable, locally-driven development. At the financial architecture level, China is reshaping global governance structures. In 2024, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank approved $8.4 billion in financing for 51 projects, primarily benefiting developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its practices are breaking the Western-dominated financial governance model, advancing the international order toward multipolarity. In this context, Global South countries should take a more proactive role, sharing agricultural, technological, and medical solutions through multilateral platforms like the UN. The 2025 BRICS Summit proposed opposing unilateral protectionist measures and upholding multilateralism, amplifying the Global South's voice in global governance. However, the Global South's influence in international institutions remains limited. In 2024, BRICS countries accounted for over 40 percent of global GDP, yet their representation in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank does not match their economic contributions. Recent developments like the African Union's inclusion in the G20 in 2023 and the 2025 Global South Financiers Forum's call for a fairer global governance system signals a trend toward multipolarity. President Xi's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind advocates addressing challenges like climate change, pandemics, and inequality through dialogue and respect for sovereignty, resonating deeply with the Global South. By opposing unilateral sanctions and tariff wars and promoting cultural and knowledge exchanges, China is driving global governance toward greater fairness. Its new cooperation model, based on mutual respect and win-win outcomes, offers developing countries an alternative to the unipolar system. Source: Global Times:
