Chinese manufacturing giant BYD has unveiled a new energy storage system which boasts record-breaking capacity, double that of a Tesla Megapack, and with the potential to lead another reduction in battery storage costs.
The new system, dubbed Haohan and unveiled last week in China, features a minimum 14.5 megawatt-hours (MWh) of storage and is equipped with what the company describes as the world’s largest 2710Ah blade battery, increasing capacity by over 300 per cent compared to conventional energy storage batteries.
Were it to be reduced in size to a standard 20-foot container, it would still deliver capacity of 10 MWh – double that of the recently upgraded Tesla Megapack, though the comparison fails somewhat when comparing physical container sizes.
The Haohan system has a cell-to-system volume ratio of 52.1 per cent, which BYD claims is the world’s highest and a 39.7 per cent improvement over the industry average. With this increased energy density, the Haohan packs more power into a smaller footprint, streamlining the installation process.
It is unclear at this stage what battery chemistry is being used for the Haohan.
BYD claims the new battery system is also rated with an IP66 overall protection level, making it completely dustproof and capable to withstand extreme environments caused by wind and sand.
When combined with BYD’s new generation of energy storage converter, the GC Flux PCS, and the new GC Master energy management system, the Haohan storage system is capable of creating a gigawatt-level grid-connected storage solution.
“BYD’s vast energy storage system is based on the research and development concept of ‘the simplest way is the best’, integrating ultra-safety, high energy efficiency and long life,” said Cao Hu, director of BYD’s power science research institute for energy storage and new battery business.
“It provides strong support for the arrival of the TWh-level power station era, comprehensively assists in power grid upgrades, and promotes the new energy storage industry towards green, intelligent and high-quality sustainable development.”
The announcement of the BYD Haohan comes only a fortnight after Tesla unveiled the upgraded Megapack 3, a 5MWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system housed in a 28-foot container.
Tesla also uses four Megapack 3’s to make the Megablock, which integrates the battery packs with a transformer and switchgear to present a 20 MWh block that it says will reduce installation times by 23 per cent, and slash construction costs by 40 per cent.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed this week by CNBC that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which had been slowly reducing its stock in the company, had solar off the last of his stake in BYD.
Berkshire reportedly began selling off some of its BYD shares back in August of 2022. It has now revealed that the listed value of its investment in BYD had fallen to zero as of March 31.
