1Q25 Global energy storage system (ESS) shipment ranking: significant changes

InfoLink Consulting has released its 1Q25 global energy storage system (ESS) shipment ranking, based on its energy storage supply chain database.

ESS shipments in 1Q25:

• China saw steady growth

• The U.S. brought ahead

• Emerging markets ramped up 

• Global ESS shipments reached a new record high of 71.5 GWh.
   

AC Side: Sungrow takes the lead, BYD enters the top three

The top five global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrators in the AC side for 1Q25 were Sungrow, Tesla, BYD, HyperStrong, and CRRC Zhuzhou Institute.

Key trends for the AC Side in 1Q25:

• Change

• Strength

• Global operations

Change:

• In 1Q25, Sungrow surpassed Tesla to become the global leader, driven by large shipments in the Americas and Middle East.

• Sungrow has outshipped Tesla for three consecutive quarters since 3Q24.

• BYD has entered the global top three for the first time since the launch of this ranking, thanks to orders from the Middle East.

Strength:

• Among the top five manufacturers, four are Chinese and one is American.

• As non-Chinese orders have been delivered throughout 2025, Chinese manufacturers are expected to gain a growing competitive edge globally.

Global operations:

• Strong performance in a single market is no longer enough to maintain global leadership.

• Manufacturers shall adopt multi-market strategies combining regional complementarity, technology adaptation, and local market development.

• This diversified approach helps mitigate risks from single-market fluctuations and supports steady growth through market cycles.
   

DC Side: Leading cell makers accelerate industry expansion

The top five global BESS integrators in the DC side for 1Q25 were CATL, BYD, Hithium, PotisEdge, and RelyEZ.

Key trends for the DC Side in 1Q25:

• Integration

• Overseas expansion (non-China regions)

Integration:

• The top three manufacturers in 1Q25 were all cell makers.

• Cell makers are increasingly moving into end-system integration.

• Intense competition within the cell segment continues, with limited profit margin growth.

• Leading cell makers are boosting system product shipments to support profitability.

• Many cell makers have launched DC-side system products, indicating intensifying competition in this segment.

Overseas expansion (non-China regions):

• In 1Q25, DC-side system shipments by cell makers were mainly focused on non-China markets.

• In China, local BESS integrators have stronger integration capabilities; thus, cell makers primarily supply cells rather than system integration.

• Accordingly, cell makers often target non-China markets for their industry expansion strategies.

The ESS market is likely to feature two main trends throughout 2025:

• Restructuring of the AC-side market landscape

• Acceleration of supply chain localization

Competition:

•    Since manufacturers like CATL, BYD, and Hithium have secured many non-China AC-side system orders, the competitive landscape on the AC side is expected to remain highly dynamic.

Supply chain:

• The supply chain shortages in non-China regions revealed by tariff issues will gradually ease.

• The supply pattern will shift from "Chinese production supplying the global market" to a model where China remains the primary global supplier, with non-China plants serving their regional markets.