The new battery industry is witnessing a major boost. Long-life lithium batteries can achieve a cycle life of 15,000 times.

The "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of New-Type Batteries" jointly formulated by seven departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Transport was officially released on September 28th (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The goal is to achieve a cycle life of 15,000 times for long-life lithium batteries by 2030 and to explore an international standard for digital passports for new-type batteries.

The Plan proposes that by 2030, the scale of China's new-type battery industry will achieve steady growth; the full-chain innovation capabilities will continue to enhance; new materials will make new breakthroughs; significant progress will be made in the research and development of new system batteries; and the full-scale application of all-solid-state batteries will be initially realized, with a cycle life of 15,000 times for long-life lithium batteries. The defect rate of leading enterprises' products will reach the PPB (billionth) level. The application ecosystem for all scenarios will accelerate its construction, and battery technology will accelerate integration and innovation with clean energy and energy-consuming terminals. International trade and investment integration will be further advanced, and services will be provided for global green and low-carbon development.

In terms of providing a rich supply of high-end battery products, it will accelerate the development of high-end, diversified, and integrated new-type battery products, improve product safety and reliability, and build a new-type battery product supply system dominated by lithium batteries, with sodium batteries, liquid flow batteries, etc. as complementary.

The Plan clearly states that it will promote multi-field innovative applications. It will improve the application level of new-type batteries such as flexible batteries and special-shaped batteries in smart wearable devices, smart homes, and mobile medical equipment, consolidate and expand the application scale in the fields of new energy vehicles and consumer electronics, and expand application scenarios in "Shagao Desert" and high-altitude areas. It will actively promote electrification in public transportation, heavy trucks, aviation, inland waterway vessels, and agricultural machinery, and carry out innovative applications of new energy storage in intelligent computing centers and industrial green micro-grids. It will explore innovative application models such as green power direct connection, virtual power plants, and computing power coordination. It will explore application scenarios such as deep space, deep sea, extreme environments, and polar exploration, brain-computer interfaces, intelligent bionics, intelligent robots, and special equipment, to serve national major strategies and frontier technological development needs.

Recycling and utilization systems have been written into the Plan. The implementation of the producer responsibility extension system will be promoted, and enterprises will be encouraged to establish waste battery recycling systems that match the sales volume of their products through self-establishment or commissioning. The construction and operation of waste battery recycling service outlets will be accelerated. Support will be provided for the research and development and industrial application of technologies and equipment for refined dismantling, low-cost utilization, and efficient extraction of valuable elements in new-type batteries. The level of precision, automation, and refinement in the processes of battery dismantling, crushing, sorting, and smelting will be improved. Efficient utilization of recycled resources will be promoted. Guidance will be provided for local areas to rationally layout processing capabilities that are compatible with the generation volume of waste batteries in their regions, promoting the concentration of resources to advantageous enterprises. Enterprises will be encouraged to layout waste battery comprehensive utilization capacity in major export markets for new-type batteries, improving resource guarantee capabilities.

The key tasks include industrial transformation and upgrading, which include improving the digital and intelligent development level of the industry, accelerating the development of new-generation intelligent manufacturing, building dedicated large models and AI research and development platforms, promoting visual management and intelligent regulation, enhancing early warning and life assessment capabilities. Green transformation and development will be accelerated, including promoting the application of new technologies, expanding the use of renewable energy, implementing green design supply chain management, building zero-carbon factories, green factories, and green parks. Thirdly, build a converged ecosystem, innovate the industrial ecosystem, promote integrated development, cultivate innovative business models, and accelerate cross-innovation. Fourthly, enhance the level of industrial security development, establish a full-chain security system, strengthen monitoring and early warning, break through key technologies, strengthen the public service capacity for battery safety management, improve the level of network data security, regulate product transportation, and promote pilot railway transportation. Set up a dedicated column for digital and intelligent empowerment.

Key tasks in the construction of the industrial system: Firstly, cultivate high-quality enterprises and build a gradient cultivation system for high-quality enterprises, creating a number of characteristic industrial clusters for small and medium-sized enterprises. Secondly, optimize the regional layout of the industry, following the principle of regional concentration and main body concentration, optimize the layout of the lithium battery industry; guide each region to leverage its comparative advantages and achieve differentiated and characteristic coordinated development. The plan also makes specific deployments for improving the industry governance system and regulating competition order.

Key tasks in industrial technology services: Firstly, improve the industrial technological innovation system, establish an integrated research and development path for the industrial chain, build scientific and technological innovation platforms, pilot testing platforms and key laboratories, promote collaborative research and development among industry, academia and research institutions, and cultivate new development paths for high-tech zones. Secondly, strengthen the leading role of standards, promote the construction of lithium battery standards, deeply participate in international standardization work. Thirdly, optimize the service level of testing and certification, enhance testing and evaluation capabilities, improve the evaluation system, and deepen quality chain promotion. Fourthly, improve the intellectual property system, strengthen intellectual property protection and patent layout. Fifthly, improve product traceability and carbon footprint management, strengthen full life cycle traceability, promote carbon footprint accounting, and promote international mutual recognition and sharing of data.