EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
InfoLink data shows worldwide energy storage cell shipments rose 94.76% year-on-year to 467.84 GWh in 1H26. Utility-scale storage accounted for 402.36 GWh, while small-scale shipments reached 65.48 GWh. CATL, Hithium, EVE Energy, BYD and CALB retained the top five positions globally.
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InfoLink Consulting, a market research and consulting firm covering the renewable energy sector, has released its latest energy storage cell shipment rankings for the first half of 2026, showing continued expansion in the global battery storage market. Global energy storage cell shipments reached 467.84 GWh during 1H26, increasing 94.76% year-on-year. Shipments have increased quarter by quarter since the first quarter of 2025 and exceeded 200 GWh for three consecutive quarters.
Market concentration continued to decline as mid-tier suppliers expanded shipments. The top-10 concentration ratio fell to a record low of 82.3%, while CATL, Hithium, EVE Energy, BYD and CALB retained the top five positions. The combined market share of the five leading suppliers approached 56.5%. InfoLink said the competitive landscape remains fluid, with Cornex rising rapidly and suppliers including Sunwoda and Ganfeng advancing toward the top ten.
Utility-scale energy storage remained the main contributor to shipment growth. Cell shipments for this segment reached 402.36 GWh in 1H26, up 84.09% year-on-year. CATL, Hithium, BYD, CALB and EVE Energy ranked as the five largest suppliers. The penetration rate of cells rated above 500 Ah exceeded 10%, with 587 Ah and 588 Ah products remaining the primary focus of capacity expansion.
Small-scale storage recorded faster growth, with shipments reaching 65.48 GWh, an increase of 202.57% year-on-year. EVE Energy held the leading position, followed by Great Power, while REPT BATTERO remained among the top three. Their combined share exceeded 60%. The segment is also shifting toward larger cell formats, including 280 Ah and 314 Ah cells.
Shipments to markets outside China reached 248.73 GWh, representing approximately 53.2% of global shipments. CATL, EVE Energy, BYD, Hithium and Great Power were the five leading suppliers in these markets.
Looking ahead, InfoLink expects supply and demand to remain tightly balanced during 2H26. Based on supplier order backlogs and capacity additions, the consultancy has raised its 2026 global energy storage cell shipment forecast to 1,026 GWh.