AI | China's Ganfeng secures orders amid surge in demand for energy storage, AI boom

Company says its orders are booked through the first half of 2027 as it plans to increase production volume by 50 per cent next year China's Ganfeng Lithium, a global giant of the lithium industry, says its orders have been booked through the first half of 2027 amid a surge in demand for energy storage systems (ESS) and a frenzy of investment in artificial intelligence data centres (AIDCs). "Our production capacity for the year is fully booked," said Wang Xiaoshen, president and vice-chairman at the world's largest metal lithium producer and lithium compounds supplier. Ganfeng also manufactures lithium-ion batteries. "The orders have already been scheduled through the first half of 2027," Wang told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the 4th BNP Paribas Global Electric Vehicle and Mobility Conference. The demand was from both China and overseas markets, he added. The extended backlog came even after taking into account Ganfeng's plan to increase its production volume by 50 per cent next year, according to Wang. The need for ESS has soared since 2023 owing to energy price fluctuations amid geopolitical tensions and the meteoric rise in the number of power-hungry AIDCs, principally benefiting manufacturers in Japan, South Korea and mainland China. Lithium-ion batteries are critical in ESS, as the rechargeable parts can stabilise an electricity network via the adoption of renewables such as solar that can operate as backup systems for AIDCs. Global lithium-ion battery ESS shipments mushroomed to 550 gigawatt-hours (GWh) last year, up more than 350 per cent from 121 GWh in 2022, data from Seoul-based SNE Research showed.