The Chinese battery giant deepens its partnership with Saudi Electricity Company through one of the world’s largest energy storage projects, reinforcing the Kingdom’s renewable transition goals.
BYD expands large-scale battery storage footprint in Saudi Arabia
Chinese battery and EV manufacturer BYD has signed a major agreement with Saudi Electricity Company to develop a 12.5 GWh battery energy storage project in the Kingdom, marking one of the largest grid-scale storage deployments globally.
The new capacity adds to the 2.6 GWh previously delivered, bringing total collaboration between the two parties to 15.1 GWh. The agreement aligns with Saudi Arabia’s strategy to reach a 50% renewable energy mix by 2030 and strengthen long-term grid resilience.
Five battery sites to support national transmission infrastructure
The Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will be installed across five locations in Saudi Arabia. BYD Energy Storage will supply its next-generation MC Cube-T ESS systems, based on the company’s proprietary Cell-to-System (CTS) technology.
The CTS design achieves a Vcts index above 33%, improving energy density and system efficiency. The 12.5 GWh storage systems will be fully integrated into the Saudi transmission network, enhancing flexibility, operational efficiency and national energy security while supporting renewable integration.
BYD’s growing global role in energy storage
BYD delivered its first pilot BESS system 17 years ago, pioneering the use of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in grid applications. To date, the company has supplied more than 75 GWh of BESS solutions across 350 projects in over 110 countries and regions.
At the same time, BYD continues to invest heavily in solid-state battery research, a technology expected to improve electric vehicle range and charging performance, although large-scale commercialization is projected toward the end of the decade.
Solid-state roadmap and battery market growth
The global battery market is expanding rapidly. Installed battery capacity across electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids increased from 703 GWh in 2023 to 894.4 GWh in 2024, a 27.2% growth.
The top manufacturers by installed capacity remain China’s CATL (339.3 GWh) and BYD (153.7 GWh), followed by South Korea’s LG with 96.3 GWh. CATL and BYD together account for more than half of global market share.
Recent reports indicate that BYD developed experimental solid-state battery cells in 2024 with capacities of 20 Ah and 60 Ah. Initial vehicle applications could begin in 2027, with broader deployment expected between 2030 and 2032, initially targeting mid- to high-end vehicle segments.
