During the 2025 SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation & Energy Storage Technology and Equipment Conference & Exhibition in Shanghai, European companies, particularly from Germany, are actively seeking collaboration with Chinese firms in procurement and joint research and development (R&D). This major event, which runs until Friday, features innovations across the photovoltaic and energy storage sectors and draws over 500,000 attendees from more than 90 countries.
A delegation from Germany, organized by the China committee of the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW), is engaging with leading Chinese energy storage manufacturers. The committee highlighted the strong interest among both Chinese and European energy storage companies for potential partnerships.
Su Yinhu, chairman of the China committee of BVMW, noted that this marks their first effort to organize German companies for commercial activities in China. He reported that the three participating German energy storage firms have clear procurement intentions and are already involved in technical collaborations with Chinese counterparts, with some nearing commercial agreements.
Germany’s energy storage market is projected to exceed 10 billion euros ($11.52 billion), prompting the BVMW to broaden collaborative efforts beyond just energy storage equipment.
Wang Wenhai, procurement director of Faveos Energy Solutions, shared his admiration for Chinese companies’ strengths in large-scale manufacturing and resource integration. He emphasized that these companies excel in material cost control, with automated production lines that lower unit capacity investment costs compared to their European and American counterparts. This competitive edge positions them favorably in the European market.
Additionally, many Chinese firms have established extensive sales and service networks across Europe, featuring hundreds of professionals. This robust infrastructure supports reliable technical and after-sales services, fostering stable international partnerships.
Christoph Schröder, CTO of H2GEMINI Technologies, pointed out that while Europe excels in clean technology R&D—particularly in carbon capture and advanced wind turbine design—it struggles with industrialization. China, in contrast, demonstrates advantages in large-scale manufacturing and process optimization, offering high production capacity at lower costs. Schröder suggested that collaboration between China and Europe could yield mutual benefits, especially through joint R&D and Chinese manufacturing initiatives.
Major multinational companies, like Schneider Electric, are also expanding their presence in China’s renewable energy sector. Wei Sizhe, senior vice president and head of low voltage energy management business China at Schneider Electric, stated that the development of China’s new-energy industry presents both global opportunities and contributions. The company is committed to advancing electrification and digitalization strategies to meet China’s evolving market demands and support the growth of its new-energy sector.
China’s renewable energy advancements are noteworthy. In 2024, newly installed renewable energy capacity made up 86% of the country’s total newly installed power capacity. The cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy reached a record high of 56% of the total capacity, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA). The sector added 373 million kilowatts of new capacity in 2024, marking a 23% increase year-on-year.
