The global lithium demand landscape is undergoing a historic transformation. For a long time, electric vehicles (EVs) have been the core driver of growth in lithium consumption. With the deep advancement of the global energy transition, the large-scale integration of renewable energy into power grids, and the rapid development of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, battery energy storage systems (BESS) have emerged as the second growth curve propelling lithium demand. Together with electric vehicles and data center power resilience support, they form the three pillars of lithium demand, ushering the lithium industry into a new stage of development.
According to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, global battery energy storage system (BESS) installations exceeded 315 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of nearly 50%. Grid-scale energy storage, industrial and commercial energy storage, and behind-the-meter energy storage projects for data centers have become the main drivers of this growth. Industry estimates indicate that approximately 900 tonnes of lithium are required per 1 GWh of grid storage capacity. Large-scale energy storage deployment has directly generated massive and sustained demand for lithium resources, completely transforming the traditional demand structure and market forecasting models that were solely centered on electric vehicles.
Looking ahead, the growth of the energy storage industry is highly certain and strategically rigid. U.S. battery storage installed capacity is projected to surge by 400% between 2025 and 2030. Globally, battery energy storage has become core energy infrastructure for many countries, used to stabilize fluctuations in wind and solar power output, improve grid reliability, and reduce peak power costs. Industry forecasts suggest the global BESS market will reach tens of billions of U.S. dollars by 2030. Unlike lithium demand for electric vehicles, which is affected by consumer cycles, lithium demand driven by energy storage is structural, long-term and stable, significantly enhancing the overall resilience of the lithium supply chain and providing clearer long-term guidance for investment layout, capacity planning and policy-making.
Meanwhile, to ensure the continuous operation of AI computing power and cloud computing services, data centers are deploying large-scale lithium battery energy storage systems to enhance power supply resilience, further unlocking incremental space for lithium demand. Driven by the dual engines of energy storage and data centers, lithium demand has expanded from the transportation sector to energy infrastructure and the digital economy, continuously broadening the demand landscape.
Driven by the explosive growth of energy storage, global demand for battery-grade lithium carbonate continues to surge. Traditional lithium extraction technologies face bottlenecks in efficiency, recovery rate, energy consumption, environmental performance, and rapid capacity expansion, making them unable to keep pace with the fast-growing market demand. To address these industry pain points, BICHEM modular lithium extraction technology provides critical support for the efficient development and large-scale expansion of lithium resources through innovative processes.
Featuring a continuous, integrated, and standardized design, BICHEM modular lithium extraction technology is compatible with a wide range of lithium sources including salt lake brine, lepidolite, and spodumene. It offers high lithium recovery rate, short construction period, low water and energy consumption, stable and reliable operation, and high product purity. The technology can stably produce high-purity battery-grade lithium carbonate meeting the standards for energy storage and power batteries, effectively improving the comprehensive utilization efficiency of lithium resources and helping enterprises release high-quality capacity at low cost and high speed.
Faced with the historic opportunities brought by the booming energy storage market, BICHEM upholds the philosophy of technology empowerment and win-win collaboration. We are ready to join hands deeply with lithium producers, resource project developers, and industrial chain partners worldwide. Supported by our modular lithium extraction technology, we will jointly increase annual production capacity of battery-grade lithium carbonate through diversified cooperation models such as technology licensing, production line upgrading, joint plant construction, and efficiency optimization, so as to ensure stable raw material supply for the global energy storage and new energy industries.
Going forward, energy storage will maintain rapid growth and the strategic value of lithium resources will keep rising. BICHEM will continue to increase investment in R&D and constantly iterate and upgrade its modular lithium extraction technology. We will support the high-quality development of the lithium industry with more efficient, greener, and more economical solutions. Together with the whole industry, BICHEM is determined to seize the strategic window of explosive growth in the energy storage market, advance global energy transition and the construction of new-type power systems, and contribute to the sustainable development of global new energy.
