Telecommunication energy storage in 5G and AI industries

Against the backdrop of the global digital wave, the strategic position and connotation of communication energy storage are being profoundly reshaped. It is no longer merely an emergency backup power source, but a crucial energy guarantee supporting the two core elements of the digital society —5G communication networks and AI computing centers . .

I. 5G Engine: The Lithium Battery Revolution Drives the Transformation from " Cost Center " to " Value Center "

5G networks offer superior performance with ultra-high speeds and ultra-low latency, but at the cost of a dramatic increase in energy consumption. A single 5G base station consumes approximately 3.5-4kW at full load , nearly three times that of a 4G base station . This enormous energy consumption places a heavy burden on the operating costs of telecommunications operators. .

1. Lithium iron phosphate becomes the core solution

Faced with the high energy consumption challenge of 5G , the industry has begun to adopt new energy storage solutions represented by ** lithium iron phosphate ( LFP ) ** on a large scale. .

Strong market demand has driven explosive growth in China's communications energy storage market, with new installed capacity increasing from 16.5 GWh in 2020 to 24.5 GWh in 2024 .

2. Upgrading from backup power to energy hub

The concept of communication energy storage is evolving from a simple backup power source to an energy hub that integrates reliable power supply, intelligent management, and value creation. .

• Model Upgrade: The traditional single backup power mode is rapidly evolving into a collaborative solution of " energy storage + energy management system (EMS) + AI dispatch " to achieve " integrated storage " .
   
• Value creation: Base station backup power supplies are no longer idle, but participate in grid peak shaving and frequency regulation, generating additional revenue for operators through peak-valley electricity price differences, truly realizing the transformation from a " cost center " to a " value center ". .
   
• AI empowerment: Industry leaders such as China Tower have introduced AI technology to learn and model historical data, enabling dynamic peak shaving and valley filling tailored to each site . This allows for precise determination of charging and discharging start and stop times, maximizing economic benefits while ensuring safety. For example, China Mobile saved over 20 million yuan in electricity annually by deploying energy storage for peak-shaving applications in Zhejiang. .
   

II. AI Engine: Data Centers Pursue Ultimate Security and Greenness, Making New Energy Storage an Inevitable Choice

With the explosive growth of large-scale AI models, the construction of Intelligent Computing Centers ( AIDCs ) has entered a phase of " unlimited " investment. As the " heart " of the digital world, data centers place higher demands on energy storage systems . 

Multiple challenges brought by AI computing power

AI computing power centers face three core challenges:

• Significant Increase in Energy Consumption: AI computing centers have extremely high power density requirements, resulting in a significant increase in electrical load. In 2024 , global data centers accounted for 1.5% of total global electricity consumption , reaching 415 terawatt-hours . If this trend continues, global data center electricity demand is projected to double by 2030 , with demand for power supporting AI expected to more than quadruple. .
   
• Ultimate safety and reliability: The core mission of data center energy storage systems is to provide uninterrupted power support at the millisecond level. Even the smallest interruption can lead to the loss of massive amounts of data. Therefore, more stringent requirements are placed on the thermal runaway management and fault self-healing capabilities of energy storage systems. .
   
• Pressures on green development: Under the " dual carbon " target, the country requires that by the end of 2025 , the proportion of green electricity supply in newly built large data centers should reach more than 80%. This drives data centers to actively transform and reduce their carbon footprint. .
   

2. New types of energy storage are becoming an inevitable choice.

These challenges are collectively driving the accelerated evolution of data center energy storage technology towards high performance, high security, high efficiency, and greenness. New energy storage systems, represented by lithium batteries, have become an inevitable choice to meet the needs of AI data centers due to their high power density, high safety, and green sustainability. 

Sutung battery is credited by the reliable and long life performance, and widely used in the China telecom data center, also export to US and Africa and Asia market.

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