Dr. Robin Zeng, CATL Chairman, delivered a keynote address at the World Laureates Summit on February 3, sharing the stage with Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu. His presentation centered on the transformation of global energy systems and CATL’s industrial practices in accelerating the sustainable energy transition.
Highlights
- Cost reductions driving adoption: LFP battery and solar power costs have fallen approximately 80% over the past decade, according to IEA and BNEF data
- Industrial-scale recycling: CATL achieved 99.6% recovery rates for nickel and cobalt and 96.5% for lithium, processing over 120,000 tons of end-of-life batteries in 2024
- Grid-forming technology: CATL’s high-voltage grid-forming energy storage enables black-start capability and core-grid support functions
- R&D investment: CATL has invested more than RMB 80 billion in research and development over the past decade, accumulating nearly 50,000 patents
Zero-Carbon Technologies Driving Commercial Competitiveness
Dr. Zeng emphasized that sustainable energy solutions are shifting from technical feasibility to long-term economic viability. CATL is translating technology-driven cost reductions into commercial competitiveness across multiple sectors.
Mining Operations
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, CATL-supported solar-plus-storage systems supply electricity to remote mining sites at roughly one-quarter the cost of diesel generation. Power costs have been reduced from approximately USD 0.30/kWh to around USD 0.07/kWh.
In Chile, the Oasis de Atacama project combines 2 GW of solar capacity with 11 GWh of energy storage. Key specifications include:
- Total investment: USD 2.3 billion
- Expected annual output: 5.5 TWh of clean electricity
- CATL contribution: 1.25 GWh of battery energy storage using the EnerX containerized system
- System composition: More than 7,100 LFP-based modules
- Operating altitude: Up to 4,000 meters above sea level
Across South American mining projects, combined CAPEX and OPEX of renewable-based power systems have been reduced by more than 30%, with operating costs alone cut by 50%.
Industrial Applications
In Pakistan, CATL deployed the country’s largest industrial energy storage system at cement plants. The installation features:
- Capacity: 20.7 MW / 22.7 MWh battery energy storage system
- Function: Absorbs solar intermittency and provides spinning reserve
- Result: Electricity costs reduced by approximately 50%
The system enables shutdown of fossil-fuel generators during daylight hours, enhancing grid independence and operational resilience.
Grid-Scale Deployment
In California, expanding storage capacity has significantly eased the duck curve phenomenon. In 2025, the CAISO grid recorded more than 1,800 hours when clean energy met or exceeded total electricity demand.
Future Energy Systems: Distributed, Intelligent, and Circular
Dr. Zeng defined future sustainable energy systems across three dimensions.
Distributed Architecture
As wind and solar generation scale alongside battery storage, future energy systems will increasingly take on a distributed form. This will replace centralized, fossil-fuel-based power systems, particularly in regions with weak grid infrastructure.
CATL’s high-voltage grid-forming energy storage technology addresses stability challenges introduced by high renewable penetration. Core capabilities include:
- Grid frequency regulation
- Reactive power compensation
- Damping control
- System inertia support
- Black-start capability for large-scale blackout recovery
This technology is being applied to build China’s first fully green-powered zero-carbon industrial park on an island in the East China Sea. The park directly supplies a 40 GWh battery manufacturing facility with wind and solar generation, eliminating reliance on the public grid.
Key features of the industrial park include direct green-power connection, where electricity from wind and solar is delivered straight to the factory without entering the public grid. CATL’s proprietary energy management system stores excess power and releases it as needed, meeting the facility’s energy needs for over 8,000 hours annually.
Intelligent Operations
Zero-carbon energy systems powered by wind and solar must dynamically align generation with highly variable demand. Dr. Zeng noted that artificial intelligence will play a critical role in operating future power systems and advancing zero-carbon technologies.
CATL’s energy storage solutions support SenseTime’s AI data center in Shanghai with the following specifications:
- Capacity: 17.888 MW / 35.776 MWh storage system
- Response time: Millisecond-level
- Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE): 1.267
- Annual energy savings: Over 10 million kWh
- Electricity cost reduction: 7%
- CO₂ emissions avoided: Approximately 3,000 tons
Circular Economy
Dr. Zeng stressed that circularity is essential to the long-term viability of zero-carbon energy systems.
CATL’s recycling achievements in 2024 include:
- Nickel and cobalt recovery rate: 99.6%
- Lithium recovery rate: 96.5%
- End-of-life batteries processed: More than 120,000 tons
- Regenerated lithium salts produced: 17,100 tons
CATL’s subsidiary BRUNP has led or participated in developing over 80% of China’s lithium battery recycling standards, including all national standards for EV battery recycling. The company has contributed to 445 industry standards, of which 126 are national standards.
In March 2025, CATL became a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, becoming the Foundation’s first renewable technology leader. The company initiated the Global Energy Circularity Commitment (GECC), defining four guiding principles for battery circularity in June 2025.
At WEF 2026, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation released the white paper Leading the Charge: Turning Risk into Reward with a Circular Economy for EV Batteries and Critical Minerals, developed with CATL’s strategic support.
2030: The Beginning of the Sustainable Energy Era
Dr. Zeng stated that 2030 will mark the true beginning of the sustainable energy era, driven by advances in zero-carbon technologies and their growing commercial application. He noted that today’s technologies may address less than 30% of the requirements of a fully zero-carbon energy system.
CATL’s strategy focuses on two complementary fronts:
- Fundamental science and frontier research: Advancing materials science and artificial intelligence for next-generation zero-carbon technologies
- Engineering and manufacturing at scale: Accelerating technologies from TRL 1 to TRL 9, including condensed batteries, solid-state batteries, and perovskite solar technologies
Over the past decade, CATL has invested more than RMB 80 billion in R&D, with annual R&D intensity of approximately USD 3 billion.
Global Cooperation and Technology Sharing
CATL has implemented a “local production, for local markets” model across multiple international markets.
Through its Licence Royalty Service (LRS), CATL provides patent licensing, technical know-how, and engineering support to automakers and battery manufacturers. In the United States, CATL has implemented this model with Ford.
CATL also encourages governments and partners to establish zero-carbon economic pilot zones that adopt mature factory designs, technologies, processes, and standards.
Dr. Robin Zeng Background
Dr. Zeng holds a PhD in condensed matter physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he trained under Chen Li-quan. He serves as Honorary Dean of the Future Technology Institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Recognition includes the NAATBatt Lifetime Achievement Award (2020) and the Nobel Sustainability Trust award (2023). He was the only participant from China with a corporate leadership background at the WLS 2026.
CATL operates six major R&D centers in Fujian Ningde, Jiangsu Liyang, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, and Germany. The company employs over 21,000 R&D staff, including more than 200 PhD researchers.
About the World Laureates Summit
The World Laureates Summit is a non-profit, non-governmental international scientific organization established in 2018. The 2026 edition invited 71 participants, including 39 Nobel Laureates and 6 Turing Award winners.
The 2026 WLS was held in conjunction with the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates, attended by more than 40 heads of state and senior government leaders.
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