Creating the Most Business-Friendly Environment for Enterprises: In just 48 days, Chongqing Tongliang District has attracted a “super unicorn” in the industry, positioning itself to become a billion-dollar hub for energy storage in the western region.
On March 14, Tongliang held a conference focused on promoting high-quality development of the private economy. Representatives from companies in the new energy storage sector, including Chongqing Haichen Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Jinhui Energy New Materials Co., Ltd., took center stage. Shortly after the conference, key leaders from the Tongliang District Committee, along with these industry representatives, traveled to Beijing to secure orders and expand their market presence. According to statistics from the Tongliang High-Tech Zone, the output value of the new energy storage industry in Tongliang is expected to exceed 8 billion yuan in 2024.
“We are fully committed to creating a business environment that is most attuned to the needs of enterprises,” stated a relevant official from Tongliang District. “We are promoting a cluster development model for the new energy storage industry and accelerating the establishment of a new high ground in this sector in the western region.” Currently, the district has gathered 12 industrial enterprises focused on new energy storage and related materials, with a 10-square-kilometer energy storage industrial park taking shape.
From Ground Zero to Attracting a “Super Unicorn” with 13 Billion Yuan Investment
Tongliang’s rapid entry into the lucrative new energy sector can be largely attributed to the establishment of Haichen Energy Storage. Just 48 days after initiating contact, Haichen decided to invest 13 billion yuan to build a smart manufacturing and R&D center in southwest China. During the signing ceremony, a representative from Haichen expressed deep appreciation for the Tongliang investment team, noting their strong professionalism and profound understanding of the energy storage industry. “They clearly know what this area needs and where it’s headed in the future,” he remarked.
Why did Tongliang target Haichen Energy Storage? “With the introduction of national policies such as the ‘Action Plan for Peak Carbon Emissions Before 2030’ and ‘Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Development of New Energy Storage,’ the energy storage industry is experiencing a renaissance,” explained the official. Despite being founded in 2019, Haichen has emerged as a “super unicorn” in the sector. The company has strategically developed technologies and products across various levels—materials, processes, equipment, battery cells, and systems—resulting in over 3,900 patents worldwide and projected total revenue of 12.917 billion yuan in 2024.
Upon learning about Haichen’s plans to invest in the southwest, the Tongliang investment team seized the opportunity, revising project proposals multiple times to create a comprehensive document that ultimately impressed the company’s top management. “We felt that Tongliang seemed to understand our company better than we do,” said Ye Zhen, General Manager of the Haichen Chongqing Manufacturing Base. After extensive negotiations within those 48 days, a blueprint emerged for producing 56 GWh of next-generation lithium batteries and a production line for 22 GWh energy storage modules, alongside energy cells, modules, BMS, and a research and development center in Tongliang.
Haichen has also pioneered the establishment of a fourth-generation high-efficiency lithium battery intelligent manufacturing line at its Chongqing base, enhancing manufacturing efficiency by 30%, increasing automation levels by 26%, and reducing costs by 25%. Additionally, the company has launched the world’s first 1,175 Ah cell and a large-capacity energy storage system. As a result, Tongliang has developed a complete energy storage industrial chain encompassing anode materials, aluminum foil, separators, and structural components, accelerating the formation of a billion-yuan energy storage industrial cluster.
Combining New Investments with Traditional Industry Transformation
Since establishing operations in Tongliang, Haichen has collaborated with ten districts and cities in southwestern Sichuan to form the Sichuan-Chongqing New Energy Storage Industry Alliance, aiming to create a “one-hour supply chain ecosystem” across the region. They have also assisted Tongliang in attracting 11 industrial chain projects from Jiangsu Housheng and Jinhui Energy, with a total investment of 20 billion yuan. As of February 21, during the high-quality development conference, Haichen’s co-founder and General Manager Wang Pengcheng noted that the local supply rate for energy cells is currently 40%, with expectations of further increases in the next three years.
During the Qingming holiday, the production workshops of Chongqing Jinhui Energy, located in the Damiya group of Tongliang High-Tech Zone, were bustling as three production lines operated at full capacity. Jinhui Energy, positioned upstream in the new energy storage industrial chain, signed an agreement to invest 1 billion yuan in 2022 to establish production lines for 350,000 sets of regenerated graphite crucibles, along with other facilities. Officially launched on October 30, 2022, Jinhui Energy now supplies materials to Haichen and other new energy companies.
“We signed our agreement with Tongliang almost simultaneously with Haichen Energy Storage,” said Cao Shixin, Executive Vice General Manager of Jinhui Energy. Upon discovering their shared location, they decided to allow Haichen to take their original site, prompting them to find a new location. “The earlier completion of Haichen’s Chongqing base will also promote our company’s development,” he added. Following this, the Tongliang High-Tech Zone Management Committee coordinated various permits and procedures, allowing Jinhui Energy to establish operations in the Damiya group efficiently.
Currently, Jiangsu Housheng’s southwest base for lithium-ion battery separators is also under construction in Tongliang High-Tech Zone. As a high-end manufacturer of lithium battery separators, their presence will further enhance Tongliang’s new energy storage industrial chain. This facility plans to invest 6.5 billion yuan to produce 2.5 billion square meters of wet-process base film and coating separators annually, with projected annual output value exceeding 5 billion yuan.
Beyond attracting new businesses, Tongliang is also helping 11 local traditional manufacturing companies transition to support energy storage and photovoltaic industries. Among these, Chongqing Xinmeiyu Industrial Group Co., Ltd. has established a production line for energy storage boxes to support Haichen Energy Storage. Xinmeiyu primarily manufactures and sells aluminum alloy profiles and windows. After discovering an opportunity during a business salon hosted by Tongliang High-Tech Zone, company representatives conducted research and began discussions with Haichen, quickly launching the energy storage project.
25 Application Scenarios Driving a Green, Low-Carbon Energy Transition
During an interview in Tongliang, a notable detail emerged: numerous functional departments in the district had several books and materials about the new energy storage industry. When asked why, many responded, “The new energy storage industry is one of Tongliang’s leading sectors. It’s essential for work and often encountered in daily life, so we need to study and learn more.” Ye Zhen highlighted three major application scenarios: power source-side, grid-side, and user-side. Currently, they have developed 25 typical application scenarios, including integrated photovoltaic and energy storage systems in office buildings, a microgrid at an electricity science museum, and energy storage solutions for industrial and commercial enterprises, promoting a transition to a green, low-carbon energy structure.
One such application is the integrated charging station at Yuqian in Tongliang, developed collaboratively by Haichen and the State Grid Tongliang Power Supply Company. This station features a large-scale chemical energy storage device that integrates five functions: photovoltaic, energy storage, charging, testing, and battery swapping. It can simultaneously charge 24 conventional electric vehicles with a maximum output power of 80kWh.
Another example is the low-carbon office building of the State Grid Tongliang Power Supply Company, utilizing a “photovoltaic-energy storage” integrated system. This system allows self-generated photovoltaic energy to create direct economic benefits, while surplus energy is stored to improve the self-use rate of photovoltaic power, reducing electricity costs. Leveraging time-of-use electricity pricing, the energy storage system charges during off-peak hours and discharges during peak hours, allowing for profit maximization while alleviating grid load and balancing supply and demand.
How much electricity can “photovoltaic-energy storage” save? Staff calculations reveal that rooftop photovoltaic systems can save around 10% of electricity for the entire office building, and when combined with energy storage devices, total savings can reach approximately 35%.
Located in Shaoyun Village, Tongliang’s “Zero Carbon” beautiful rural project is the largest mountainous photovoltaic power generation facility in the western Chongqing area. “This project is equipped with a 1.5 MW photovoltaic power station, featuring about 2,800 photovoltaic panels, generating over 1.1 million kilowatt-hours annually,” said a representative from Chongqing Mineng Industrial Co., Ltd. The project includes 13 energy storage devices, ensuring a reliable power supply for local residents and the ability to perform a “black start” during outages.
According to Ye Zhen, “These application scenarios have demonstrated the significant role of energy storage in various aspects, such as peak shaving to enhance grid reliability, reducing energy costs for enterprises through peak and valley trading, providing reliable backup power, and lowering emissions to conserve energy.”
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