Everyone in Europe claims to manufacture energy-storage systems. In practice, most simply assemble them. Behind the marketing lies one truth: China builds Europe’s batteries.
The European ESS market doesn’t run on European technology—it runs on Chinese precision, supply chains, and industrial discipline.
1. Europe assembles. China manufactures.
Most “Made in EU” storage systems are final assembly plants. Containers are fitted with cells and modules imported from China from CATL, EVE, BYD, REPT, Gotion, or CALB. These companies produce at a scale Europe can’t yet match. A battery system is 60-70 percent cell cost. If those cells come from China, calling the result “EU-made” is branding, not manufacturing. That’s the reason 90 percent of the ESS capacity installed in Europe today originates from Chinese production lines. BloombergNEF’s 2024 Lithium-Ion Supply Chain Ranking confirms that “China has retained its number-one position in global lithium-ion manufacturing due to its unmatched scale, cost efficiency, and infrastructure.” China accounts for more than 80% of the world’s lithium-ion cell output and dominates precursor material refining by an even higher margin. Europe’s total operational cell production capacity remains below 10% of global volume, and most of it still uses Chinese raw materials.
2. Chinese quality is not a compromise
Five years ago, “Made in China” was a political argument. Today, it’s an engineering standard. Chinese battery plants run at 90-95 percent automation with full traceability, batch control, and real-time AI inspection. No European factory matches that scale or process maturity yet. When you buy a system using CATL or EVE cells, you are buying the same components used by Tesla, Mercedes, and BYD. That’s not cheap—that’s proven.
3. The efficiency advantage
Chinese OEMs have decades of vertical integration. They control cathode materials, separators, electrolyte, pack assembly, and recycling. This ecosystem cuts lead times and stabilises pricing. That’s why European integrators can deliver projects on schedule because their supply chains are Chinese. Remove China from the equation, and half of Europe’s grid-storage pipeline collapses.
4. The reality behind “EU factories”
The new “gigafactories” across Europe are still importing electrode rolls, electrolyte, and BMS boards from Asia. That’s fine. But calling that independence misleads investors and policymakers. China built its dominance through industrial policy, not slogans—consistent subsidies, export infrastructure, and zero tolerance for downtime. Europe is still learning that efficiency is not a political goal, it’s a production metric.
5. The buyer’s interest
For commercial buyers, the origin of technology matters only when it affects performance and warranty. Chinese-built cells offer higher consistency, longer cycle life, and traceable compliance documentation under UN38.3 and IEC standards. The only rational decision is to buy where quality is proven—and today that’s China. Smart European integrators understand this. They import the best Chinese hardware, add EU-certified control systems, and deliver turnkey assets that meet every CE and grid-connection requirement. That partnership model is the real future—not isolation.
6. Transparency as respect
Respecting Chinese manufacturing doesn’t mean ignoring regulation. It means being open about where technology comes from, and giving credit where it’s due. Transparency builds trust between supplier and buyer far faster than political slogans ever will. When AEMA says “Pro-China,” it means Pro-Truth. Europe’s green transition will succeed only when it recognises who actually builds the hardware that makes it possible.
Conclusion
China manufactures. Europe integrates. Together they deliver the systems that stabilise the modern grid. Pretending otherwise wastes time and money. The smart buyer doesn’t chase flags—they chase performance, documentation, and uptime. And in every one of those categories, China already leads.
