From concept validation to large-scale grid connection
Published on September 20, 2026
In 2026, grid-forming storage crossed the line from demonstration concept to industry standard. In the first half of the year, 31 projects adopted grid-forming technology with close to 9GWh newly connected, two national standards were approved and released, and the 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for "expanding the application of grid-forming technologies". This article reviews the policy and project landscape, explains the fundamental difference between grid-forming and grid-following, and closes with a practical selection checklist.
Why 2026 is the turning point
Policy, standards and projects advanced on three fronts at the same time, turning grid-forming from optional into mandatory.
Policy: from encouraging pilots to leading with standards
In January 2026, the NDRC and the National Energy Administration issued the Notice on Improving the Capacity Price Mechanism for Generation-Side Resources, establishing for the first time at national level a capacity price mechanism for grid-side standalone storage — giving storage plants an institutional floor revenue.
In July 2026, China's New Energy Storage Development Report (2026) listed grid-forming storage as a key direction in its technology trends section.
In August 2026, the 15th Five-Year Plan for New Power System Construction explicitly required "expanding the application of grid-forming and related technologies, fully releasing the multiple functions of new energy storage in peak shaving, frequency regulation, voltage regulation, emergency reserve, ramping and black start". The plan targets roughly 80GW of new grid-side standalone storage capable of peak supply duties nationwide during the period.
That same month, two national standards for grid-forming technology were approved and released — GB/T 47968-2026 General Technical Specification for Grid-Forming Converters and GB/T 47655-2026 Grid-Forming Performance Requirements and Test Methods for Power Electronic Equipment and Systems — taking effect in November 2026 and February 2027 respectively. Policy has closed the loop from "encouraging exploration" to "leading with standards".
Projects: from small pilots to concentrated grid connection
In the first half of 2026, 31 projects nationwide adopted grid-forming storage, adding close to 9GWh of grid-connected capacity.
The application scope is remarkably diverse: a 200MW/800MWh standalone project in Pishan, Xinjiang; a 250MW/750MWh standalone project in Wuqi, Shaanxi; 400MW/800MWh of co-located storage in Ningxia; and a 16MW/32MWh solar-plus-storage project in the Xiaojinchuan basin in Aba, Sichuan. Grid-forming technology is spreading from large standalone storage to renewable co-location and microgrids.
August accelerated the pace further: the 100MW/200MWh Baisha project in Songyuan, Jilin became the province's first large grid-forming storage plant; the 200MW/800MWh Minfeng high-voltage cascaded project consolidated its position as the largest cascaded grid-forming storage project in China; and State Grid NARI completed an 8MW/32MWh project at 4,200 metres in Qusum, Tibet, where all 14 in-house grid-forming converters passed rigorous three-phase short-circuit, multi-unit coordination and black-start tests.
Scale records were also rewritten: Star Charge's 1GW/4GWh grid-forming project in Xilingol was connected, making it the largest single grid-forming storage project in the world in 2026; and the first phase of the 400MW/1600MWh shared storage project in Fanshi, Shanxi was connected, becoming the province's largest grid-forming standalone shared storage station.
Grid-forming vs grid-following: the real difference
This is not a question of better or worse performance. It is a difference in control fundamentals, and that determines which grid conditions each suits.
Grid-following: the converter follows the voltage and phase already present on the grid, synchronising through a phase-locked loop. It is fundamentally a current source. It performs well on a strong grid, but in weak-grid and high-renewable scenarios it can trigger oscillations and cannot actively provide inertia or voltage support.
Grid-forming: the converter establishes its own voltage and frequency reference. It is fundamentally a voltage source, able to actively provide inertia support, voltage support and frequency regulation, and it can perform black start and islanded operation.
A simple analogy: a grid-following converter is a musician following the band; a grid-forming converter is the conductor setting the beat. As synchronous machines retire and the system becomes "weaker", someone has to set that beat.
How to read the key specifications
Short-time overload capability: the industry now generally treats "3x overload for 10 seconds" as the defining grid-forming metric. In 2025 this was mainly achieved through derated operation using power redundancy; by 2026, leading products deliver it at rated power on a single unit. When specifying, always separate "achieved through derating" from "achieved at rated power".
Weak-grid adaptability: check the minimum short-circuit ratio (SCR) at which stable operation is maintained and the impedance characteristics — critical for weak grids, large capacities and long transmission distances.
Black start and islanded operation: measured results from black start, islanded operation, multi-unit coordination and three-phase short-circuit tests are far more persuasive than datasheet claims.
Inertia and frequency support: response time, inertia constant, primary frequency regulation deadband and ramp rate must be reviewed clause by clause against local grid codes.
Multi-unit parallel stability: 100MW-class projects often parallel dozens of PCS units, so coordination and resonance suppression capability directly determine commissioning time.
Standards compliance: with GB/T 47968-2026 and GB/T 47655-2026 in force, grid-forming performance now has a unified test methodology and pass criteria, and tender documents are already citing them directly.
Selection checklist
Define the grid-forming level first: confirm whether the project is fully grid-forming or a grid-forming and grid-following mix, and write the operating envelope and switching logic into the technical agreement.
Request measured reports: ask for 3x/10-second overload waveforms at rated power, three-phase short-circuit test data, black start reports and multi-unit coordination test reports — not just datasheets.
Choose the topology: for large projects, high-voltage cascaded designs (no step-up transformer, better efficiency and response) or low-voltage centralised plus step-up transformer solutions are both viable. Evaluate against site conditions and cost.
Match the thermal design: grid-forming operation carries a higher thermal load under overload and frequent regulation duty, where liquid cooling offers clear advantages in temperature uniformity and auxiliary consumption.
Coordinate battery and PCS: grid-forming performance depends on both PCS and battery system. Cell rate capability, SOC operating window and BMS power-limiting strategy must match the PCS overload curve.
Weak-grid and off-grid capability: for projects needing islanded operation, microgrids or black start, confirm off-grid load-carrying capability, including starting transformer and motor-type inrush loads.
Protection and safety: protection settings must be re-coordinated under overload duty so they do not conflict with grid-forming control objectives. Gas detection, automatic suppression and explosion relief are all mandatory.
Certification and compliance: beyond IEC/CE/CB baseline reports, review the mandatory grid-forming requirements in local grid codes and add third-party type testing where required.
O&M and upgrades: grid-forming control algorithms iterate quickly. Confirm remote firmware upgrade and parameter download support to avoid station-by-station retrofits later.
Typical application scenarios
Grid-side standalone storage: capacity payment mechanisms plus grid-forming capability upgrade standalone storage from a peak-shaving asset to a system support asset.
Storage at renewable mega-bases: short-circuit ratios are low at high-renewable bases, and grid-forming significantly improves connection stability and transmission capability.
Weak and remote grids: for remote areas, islands and mining sites, grid-forming is often the only feasible choice.
Microgrids and off-grid supply: when operating alongside diesel gensets and solar, grid-forming enables seamless transition and diesel displacement.
High altitude and extreme environments: the 4,200-metre Qusum project in Tibet has demonstrated feasibility at high altitude and low air pressure.
Overseas weak-grid markets: in July 2026, the first large grid-forming storage project for Cambodia's national utility, delivered by Zhongtian Technology under an EPC contract, completed black start and islanded operation system tests in a single pass — marking the transition of Chinese grid-forming technology from domestic leadership to overseas delivery. Weak-grid markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Africa are becoming the growth export direction for Chinese grid-forming solutions.
Supplier landscape and export advice
Leading suppliers have completed generational upgrades: since 2026, Huawei Digital Power, Kehua Tech, TBEA New Energy, Zhiguang Electric, Gotion High-tech, NR Electric, Inovance and Hoymiles have all refreshed their grid-forming products; Sungrow and Sineng PCS units both offer 3x/10-second short-time grid-forming overload capability.
Tender thresholds are rising: as national standards take effect, owners will cite GB/T test methods directly, and grid-forming claims without third-party verification will struggle to reach a shortlist.
Export requires local grid codes: grid-forming requirements differ considerably between Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Configure parameters and pre-certify for each target market.
Delivery capability decides outcomes: commissioning of grid-forming projects is more complex and takes longer than conventional storage, so the service team's capability in grid-forming parameter tuning and spare parts response directly affects the connection date.
From selling products to selling system capability: the value of grid-forming storage lies more in system stability and availability. Availability commitments, fault response times and remote O&M capability should be core components of any quotation.
Need grid-forming storage solutions and technical support? We provide grid-forming PCS and containerised BESS designs, 3x/10-second overload and black-start test data, control strategy documentation for weak-grid and off-grid scenarios, and IEC/CE/CB technical files, and we support tendering and alignment with local grid codes.