Three shifts in the energy storage market: the latest InfoLink data for the first half of 2026

Global shipments of cells for energy storage systems reached 467.84 GWh in the first half of 2026, representing a 94.8% increase year over year. The latest report from InfoLink Consulting highlights the industry’s tremendous momentum and raises the full-year sales forecast to more than 1 TWh.

Declining concentration and the battle for market share

The market is gradually becoming less dominated by a handful of industry giants. The combined share of the ten largest suppliers fell from 91.2% in mid-2025 to 82.3% in the first half of 2026. The position of market leaders such as CATL, Hithium, EVE Energy, BYD and CALB weakened in favor of second-tier manufacturers, including Sunwoda and Ganfeng LiEnergy.

This shift is driven by capacity constraints among the leading players. Unmet demand is flowing to smaller suppliers, which are steadily strengthening their position in supply chains after completing the certification process.

Competing formats and continued supply pressure

The market lacks a common standard for large-format cells. The previously dominant 314 Ah format is now difficult to source, and its prices have risen by more than 15% over the past six months. Meanwhile, manufacturers are introducing even larger cells, ranging from 500 Ah to more than 1,000 Ah. The situation is reminiscent of the format wars once seen in the photovoltaic panel market.

With book-to-bill ratios remaining above 1.2, InfoLink revised its full-year cell shipment forecast from 612 GWh in 2025 to as much as 1,026 GWh in 2026, an increase of 67.5% year over year.

Markets outside China account for more than half of demand

Shipments to overseas customers reached 248.73 GWh in the first half of the year, accounting for 53.2% of the global market. This growth was driven in part by changes to China’s export tax rebates, which are set to be gradually phased out by the end of 2026.

Meanwhile, in the US market, where higher tariffs and regulatory barriers have restricted imports from China, South Korean manufacturers are effectively filling the gap. LG Energy Solution has launched mass production of LFP cells in Michigan, increasing its capacity to 30 GWh and joining the ranks of the world’s ten largest suppliers.