China is stepping up efforts to advance solid-state battery technology with a new pilot project in Beijing. Officially called the “All-Solid-State Electrolyte Pilot Production and Testing Validation Capability Construction Project”, the project is led by Guolian Automotive Power Battery Research Institute.

Backed by a consortium that includes a central state-owned enterprise, the project also counts Chinese giants CATL and SAIC Motor as shareholders. This effort is part of a wider industry push supported by emerging national standards and growing industrial investment in next-generation battery technologies.

The project will be established in Beijing’s Yanqi Economic Development Zone in Huairou District, using an existing industrial building repurposed for laboratory and pilot-scale operations. The facility is expected to reach a research and pilot output of around 25 tons of solid-state electrolyte materials per year. Designed as a pilot and validation platform rather than a mass-production plant, the project will help build China’s industrial expertise and supply chain for solid-state batteries, even as full commercial deployment is still several years away.

The industrial supply chain for all-solid-state batteries is still in its early stages, and production costs remain relatively high. China has recently issued a consultation draft for its first national standard on solid-state batteries, signaling that regulatory and policy frameworks are starting to support the industry. [Source: Guolian Automotive Power Battery Research Institute]