China’s leading electric vehicle and battery manufacturer, BYD, has strengthened its position in the Middle East’s energy storage sector after signing an agreement with UAE renewable energy company Masdar to supply 11.275GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for a landmark renewable energy project in Abu Dhabi.
The deal follows BYD’s recent success in securing a 12.5GWh grid-scale battery storage project in Saudi Arabia, one of the largest energy storage developments globally, reinforcing the company’s rapid expansion across the region.
The Abu Dhabi project, jointly developed by Masdar and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), is being promoted as the world’s first gigawatt-scale round-the-clock renewable energy project. By combining large-scale solar generation with advanced battery storage, the initiative aims to deliver uninterrupted clean electricity while addressing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.
Under the agreement, BYD will supply its Haohan energy storage system, powered by the company’s 2,710Ah Blade battery technology. According to BYD, the battery provides more than three times the cell capacity of earlier models, significantly improves energy density, and reduces battery management system (BMS) complexity by up to 80%.
The company said the system is engineered for continuous 24-hour operation and is designed to maximise the operational lifespan and efficiency of utility-scale energy storage facilities.
Beyond battery hardware, BYD will also deploy its proprietary GC Master energy management system (EMS), capable of monitoring more than 10 million data points. The platform offers over four times the computing power of previous versions and can support energy storage projects exceeding 15GWh in capacity.
The agreement underscores the accelerating demand for large-scale battery storage solutions across the Middle East as governments continue investing in renewable energy infrastructure and technologies capable of delivering reliable, around-the-clock clean power.
BYD has also expanded its global energy storage portfolio by partnering with Poland-based renewable energy developer Greenvolt Power to develop the Siedlce battery energy storage project, further strengthening its presence in Europe’s growing energy storage market.
Chinese battery manufacturers are increasingly targeting overseas markets through strategic partnerships, driven by rising global demand for energy storage solutions. Industry analysts expect this trend to support long-term growth in lithium demand as large-scale battery deployments continue to expand worldwide.
