Yongren 300MW/1,200MWh Vanadium Flow Battery Energy Storage Project Phase 1 Successfully Connected to the Grid
Date: 02 Jan 2026 |
Source: Global Flow Battery Energy Storage WeChat, 2 January 2026
Phase 1 of the Yongren vanadium flow battery (VFB) energy storage project has been successfully completed and connected to the grid on 31 December 2025, marking a major milestone as the project transitions from construction into power-system integration and early operations, and laying a solid foundation for full-capacity commissioning.
Located in the Maila Industrial Circular Economy Demonstration Park, Yongding Town, Yongren County, the project spans 193.44 acres and is positioned as Yunnan’s largest VFB energy storage installation, with a total planned scale of 300MW/1,200MWh, making it among the largest built and under-construction VFB stations nationally.
In recent years, Yongren County has rapidly expanded its solar sector, with centralized PV projects (built and under construction) totaling 1.638GW. However, transmission constraints have created challenges for renewable energy consumption and grid hosting capacity. The Yongren VFB project is being advanced as a key solution to improve renewable integration, strengthen grid resilience, and foster a green industrial cluster.
The project adopts vanadium flow battery technology, recognized for high safety, long service life, flexible scalability, and strong environmental performance. The system is expected to provide long-duration energy storage capabilities that help:
- Smooth renewable output and mitigate intermittency and volatility
- Enable peak shaving and valley filling, easing stress during high renewable generation periods
- Improve utilization of transmission corridors and reduce renewable curtailment
- Support development of a new power system with renewables as the main supply
The project represents a major long-term infrastructure investment with:
- Total investment: RMB 3.382 billion
- Operating period: 25 years
- Expected annual average charging: ~720 million kWh
- Expected annual average discharging: ≥504 million kWh
Shanghai Electric Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. played a key role in delivering the project’s construction and commissioning, helping bring Phase 1 safely and efficiently to grid connection. The milestone is positioned as a national benchmark for scaling long-duration energy storage, demonstrating Shanghai Electric’s capability to execute utility-grade VFB deployments and providing a replicable model for enhancing grid-side flexibility and accelerating large-scale renewable energy integration.
Following Phase 1 grid connection, the project team will continue accelerating subsequent works to progress toward full-capacity operation, supporting China’s carbon-reduction goals and Yunnan’s clean-energy development strategy.