Inside of ESVL. Credit: CATL Understand China EV’s Market Real-time notifications when critical EV data is released All important data in one place 2,000,000+ data points Become a member CATL officially commenced operations today at its Xiamen Energy Storage Validation Research Institute (ESVL), establishing the world’s largest and most comprehensive one-stop testing and validation platform for the energy storage industry. Spanning 10 hectares and backed by an investment of approximately 3 billion yuan (441 million USD), the facility is designed as an open, shared infrastructure to serve global energy storage stakeholders. According to CATL, as the global energy transition accelerates, the industry faces a significant performance gap, with nearly one in five large-scale energy storage stations underperforming and 46.5% of systems experiencing grid-connection delays exceeding two months. ESVL aims to address these challenges by shifting validation from component-level testing to rigorous station-level verification, ensuring safety, grid-support capability, and long-term reliability before deployment. “Scientific rigour is more critical than ever as energy storage enters the gigawatt era,” said Dr Wu Kai, Chief Scientist of CATL. “ESVL is designed to reflect that rigour, and to help usher in a more trusted and sustainable era of real-world validation.” Dr Wu Kai. The institute features five core laboratories that deliver full-scenario validation: Grid integration laboratory: The world’s first station-level facility, featuring a 35kV/100MVA grid simulator. It can test over 10 large-scale energy storage containers simultaneously and simulate 1,000-node grid topologies. High-voltage safety laboratory: Capable of testing voltages from 1kV to 500kV, this lab investigates fire and explosion mechanisms under extreme conditions. Thermal safety and combustion laboratory: Features a 20MW calorimeter and 100,000 cubic meters of indoor space, allowing for simultaneous explosion testing on nine large containers. Environment reliability laboratory: Verifies performance in extreme climates ranging from -50°C to 100°C and simulated altitudes up to 7,200 km. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratory: The only facility globally capable of performing EMC testing on a full 40-foot container under real high-power charge and discharge conditions. Dr Chen Xiaobo, Head of ESVL, noted that the institute collaborates with leading certification bodies- including TÜV SÜD, TÜV Rheinland, CGC, and CSA – to provide globally recognised services. By providing independent, traceable data, ESVL aims to assist regulators, insurers, and financial institutions in treating energy storage as a more credible and bankable asset. Dr Chen Xiaono. CATL holds the world’s largest market share in both power batteries and energy storage. In terms of power batteries, it leads the market by securing a 47.0% market share in April 2026. Regarding energy storage, in 2025, CATL’s energy storage battery sales reached 121 GWh, with a global market share of 30.4%, ranking No. 1 worldwide for five consecutive years. Details of ESVL.