What happened at the China–EU Solar & Energy Storage Dialogue 2025?
Solar and storage leaders from China and Europe gathered in Düsseldorf, Germany, for the China–EU Solar & Energy Storage Industries Dialogue 2025, with three clear objectives: deepen cross-border cooperation, launch a new bilateral storage collaboration platform, and coordinate how both regions scale PV and batteries amid record deployments, stressed grids, and intensifying competition.
The forum was organized by EUPD Group together with the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA). It formally unveiled a China–EU storage cooperation platform designed to offer warehousing, logistics, recycling, and technical support. The platform aims to help Chinese storage companies operate more effectively in Europe, while also supporting European players that want to access opportunities in China.
For BasenPower and other system providers active between the two regions, this kind of institutional platform is a strong signal: cross-border projects will increasingly be supported by shared infrastructure, not just by isolated company networks.
China’s “terawatt era” and the rise of new-type storage
In the opening session, Ru Jialin, deputy director of international affairs at CPIA, highlighted how fast the Chinese market has evolved. China’s cumulative PV capacity has already exceeded 1,126 GW, pushing the country into what he described as the “terawatt era.” At the same time, so-called “new-type storage” – defined as energy storage technologies other than pumped hydro – is approaching 100 GW of installed capacity.
The forum’s purpose was to respond to this momentum: aligning Chinese manufacturing scale and project experience with European expertise in system integration, policy frameworks, and financing, so that both sides can handle the grid, market, and funding challenges of terawatt-level solar and storage growth.
Ru stressed that the industry’s progress over the past decades has been built on cooperation rather than isolation – a theme that ran throughout the day’s discussions.
A half-trillion-dollar sector that needs flexibility markets
Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, described solar-plus-storage as already being a half-trillion-dollar industry, shaped by more than ten years of cooperation between Europe and China that has driven PV costs sharply lower.
However, she warned that markets from California to Spain are now seeing episodes of negative power prices when high solar output is not matched by sufficient storage and flexibility. To reach the Global Solar Council’s target of 1.5 TW of new solar capacity globally by 2030, she argued that governments must open up flexibility and ancillary service markets much more clearly to batteries.
For storage providers, the message is clear: hardware alone is not enough. Participating in grid services, capacity mechanisms, and flexibility products is becoming a major part of the value stack.
European storage outlook: Germany, Italy and the UK
The dialogue also provided a snapshot of where key European storage markets are heading. Saif Islam, senior consultant at EUPD Group, shared projections that:
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Germany could reach around 29 GWh of installed storage capacity by 2029, with utility-scale projects driving most of the growth.
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Italy is expected to expand to roughly 12 GWh over the same period.
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The United Kingdom could climb to about 16 GWh.
Storage is no longer just an add-on; in many cases it is becoming the main driver of new rooftop PV sales. Installers are increasingly packaging solar with battery systems, EV chargers, smart home controls, and heat pumps, creating integrated offerings that support self-consumption and provide flexibility to the grid.
Daniel Fuchs, chief customer officer at EUPD Group, underlined that supply is now heavily dominated by Chinese manufacturers and that structured collaboration is essential to balance supply and demand across Europe’s diverse national markets.
BasenPower commentary: what this means for China–EU storage partnerships
From BasenPower’s perspective, the dialogue confirms several trends we are already seeing in day-to-day project work with partners in Europe:
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Cross-border platforms are becoming “must-have infrastructure”
The new China–EU storage cooperation platform – with its focus on warehousing, logistics, recycling, and technical support – fits exactly where the market is heading. For serious long-term players, having reliable European warehouses, clearly defined recycling and second-life routes, and responsive local engineering support is no longer optional; it is a baseline expectation for utilities, installers, and end-customers. -
The value is shifting from components to systems and services
The dialogue repeatedly linked China’s manufacturing scale with Europe’s strengths in system design and finance. For companies like BasenPower, that means the competitive edge lies in how well we can package bankable hardware with system integration know-how, digital monitoring, and lifecycle service models, not just in offering a low cost per kWh. -
Flexibility markets will shape storage design choices
As flexibility and ancillary service markets open further to batteries, project developers will look for systems that can handle not only behind-the-meter self-consumption, but also frequency response, peak shaving, and other grid services. That demands robust EMS/BMS architectures, clear performance guarantees, and transparent data access.
How BasenPower reads the opportunity for partners
For European installers, developers, and investors working with Chinese storage manufacturers, this dialogue sends a constructive signal:
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The two regions are actively building shared infrastructure and a common language for terawatt-scale deployment.
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There is recognition at the policy and industry-association level that batteries are central to solving negative pricing and grid congestion, not an afterthought.
From our side, BasenPower sees three practical implications for future cooperation:
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Project conversations will become more strategic
Instead of focusing only on product specifications, more of the discussion will be about market access, flexibility products, interconnection constraints, and long-term O&M. -
Partner selection will matter more than ever
European stakeholders will increasingly look for Chinese partners who can combine reliable hardware, compliant logistics, recycling pathways, and responsive support in the EU, rather than pure component suppliers. -
Standardization and transparency will be rewarded
Clear documentation, standardized interfaces with inverters and EMS platforms, and transparent performance data will be key differentiators as storage volumes in Germany, Italy, the UK and beyond ramp up towards the projected GWh levels presented at the dialogue.
As China and Europe move deeper into the terawatt era of solar and storage, events like the China–EU Solar & Energy Storage Industries Dialogue 2025 show that cooperation remains the fastest route to scaling clean energy – and that well-structured, long-term partnerships between manufacturers, system integrators, and local installers will shape who ultimately succeeds in this rapidly growing industry.
News reference: pv magazine, “Key takeaways from China–EU Solar & Energy Storage Industries Dialogue 2025,” December 3, 2025.