Carrie Xiao examines some notable recent partnerships and supply agreements for Chinese energy storage players in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Australia.
Since the start of 2026, China’s energy storage industry has made a robust opening, with leading players including Cornex, CATL and Tianneng Group rolling out a flurry of international cooperation agreements. These moves have steadily expanded the network of partners for Chinese energy storage players in the global market.
Cornex sealed a landmark cooperation agreement in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, inking a strategic energy storage agreement with local enterprises to further expand in the Middle Eastern energy storage market.
Industry leader CATL has partnered with UK-based Schroders Greencoat and Hong Kong private equity firm Lochpine Capital on a strategic cooperation agreement, under which the three parties will focus on developing energy storage projects across Europe with a long-term planned capacity of up to 10 GWh.
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In addition, Tianneng Group has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with VCI Global Limited (VCIG), with both sides jointly advancing the development of PV-storage projects in Malaysia. Zhiguang Electric has formally signed a contract with Vinmart Group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), winning contracts for three PV-storage-diesel microgrid projects, while SolaX Power (SolaX) has struck a cooperation agreement with Raystech Group Pty Ltd to expand into Australia’s energy storage market and enhance its overseas business footprint.
Cornex inks 5.5GWh Saudi Arabia agreement to support localised production
On 3 February, Cornex signed a strategic energy storage cooperation agreement with Al Rajhi Electrical and Shanghai GREENGRID in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Under the agreement, as Al Rajhi Electrical’s first Chinese strategic partner in the energy storage sector, Cornex will fully leverage its R&D strengths and large-scale manufacturing edge in lithium batteries to supply cutting-edge energy storage products and comprehensive technical support for Al Rajhi Electrical’s construction of a local manufacturing base in Saudi Arabia.
Over the next three years, Cornex will supply a total of 5.5GWh of energy storage products to Al Rajhi Electrical, supporting the latter’s localised production and project development in the Middle East market.
CATL signs 10GWh UK agreement with Schroders’ energy transition arm
On 2 February, Schroders Greencoat, the energy transition investment platform of UK-based investment management firm Schroders, signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CATL and Hong Kong-based private equity firm Lochpine Capital. The three parties will jointly advance the development and investment of battery storage projects across Europe.
Lucy Rigby, KC MP and Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury, attended the MOU signing ceremony, which was also attended by Richard Oldfield, Group CEO of Schroders; James Wang, Chief Investment Officer of CATL; and Alicia Liu, Managing Director of Lochpine Capital.
Pursuant to the agreement, this partnership will establish a European battery storage investment platform, with a long-term plan to build energy storage facilities with a total annual production capacity of up to 10GWh.
Specifically, CATL will provide battery technology support; Schroders Greencoat will leverage its asset management expertise in renewable energy infrastructure; and Lochpine Capital will focus on BESS project development and fund structuring – together forging a complete “Technology + Capital + Projects” closed-loop ecosystem.
As a leading European asset manager specialising in energy transition, Schroders Greencoat is backed by Schroders Capital’s US$111 billion in private market assets under management. It operates around 450 renewable energy assets worldwide, with a total installed capacity of over 7.7GW.
Tianeng Group’s 1GWh AI data centre agreement in Malaysia
Chinese energy storge battery manufacturer Tianneng Group has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with VCI Global Limited (VCIG). The two parties will jointly advance the development of a 1GWh AIDC (artificial intelligence data centre) PV-plus-storage power plant project in Malacca, Malaysia.
The project is set to adopt an EPC-plus-financing (‘EPC+F’) cooperation model with the goal of building a benchmark green energy project in Southeast Asia that integrates “PV-Storage-Computing” capabilities.
According to Tianneng Group, Phase I of the project spans approximately 600 acres and includes plans to build 250MW of PV power generation facilities. These will be paired with Tianneng’s self-developed liquid-cooled energy storage system to form a GWh-scale clean energy supply system. Upon completion, the project will primarily supply stable, efficient, zero-carbon power to AIDC developments.
Zhiguang Electric in DRC microgrid partnership with Vinmart Group
Zhiguang Electric formally signed contracts recently for three PV-storage-diesel microgrid projects with Vinmart Group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The three projects are situated in three major mining regions of the DRC, all utilising Zhiguang Electric’s custom containerised energy storage system (ESS) solutions.
As a global hub for copper and cobalt resources, the DRC grapples with complex power supply challenges for mining operations. Zhiguang Electric’s energy storage systems will work in synergy with PV and diesel power generation systems to form an integrated PV-storage-diesel microgrid structure, delivering reliable and stable power support for critical production loads at mining sites.
It is reported that Zhiguang Electric’s containerised energy storage system features an integrated design that seamlessly integrates core components, including power conversion system (PCS), battery management system (BMS), and energy management system (EMS) intelligent management platforms. The system comes pre-assembled to enable rapid on-site deployment, precise data dispatching and monitoring, making it highly adaptable to the logistics and construction conditions of African mining areas.
SolaX signs distributed storage supply deal with Australia’s Raystech
SolaX has announced the recent signing of a cooperation agreement with Raystech Group Pty Ltd, appointing the latter as the exclusive general agent for the company’s residential energy storage products in the Australian market.
Under the agreement, Raystech has committed to a cumulative procurement volume of no less than 1GWh of SolaX’s energy storage battery products for the 2026 calendar year.
The agreement is effective from 1 January to 31 December 2026 and covers the entire Australian territory. It encompasses the company’s residential, commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage batteries and related accessories supplied to the Australian market, with specific shipment volumes to be confirmed based on the actual reconciliation between the two parties.
