# CATL says 14-year-old LFP cells retain 85% capacity after tests *Laboratory tests on cells from China's 63 MWh Zhangbei project show 10 years of secondary grid storage life, though independent third-party certification remains unpublished.* **Published:** September 27, 2026 **By:** Lian Chen **Section:** Batteries & Electric Vehicles — China **Format:** Breaking **Confidence:** medium **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/batteries-ev/catl-says-14-year-old-lfp-cells-retain-85-390 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - Decommissioned LFP cells from 63 MWh Zhangbei site retained 85% capacity after 14 years - Lab teardown indicates 1,000 cycles or 10 years of secondary utility service - National storage standard GB/T 46261-2025 took effect Sept. 1, 2026 ![A technician in safety glasses monitors battery units connected to testing equipment inside a laboratory. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-09-27-7c208bf49f26.webp) *A technician in safety glasses monitors battery units connected to testing equipment inside a laboratory. (AI-generated image)* Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited said Sept. 27 that laboratory teardowns of early lithium iron phosphate cells operated for 14 years confirmed about 85% residual capacity, supporting second-life energy storage deployment. The 50 tested prismatic cells came from the 63-megawatt-hour Zhangbei National Wind, Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Demonstration Project in Hebei Province. Commissioned on Dec. 25, 2011, the installation operated continuously until its formal decommissioning in June 2025. CATL shipped 121 gigawatt-hours of stationary energy storage systems in 2025, generating 62.4 billion yuan ($8.6 billion), or 14.7% of its total revenue of 423.7 billion yuan ($58.4 billion). The teardown examined state of health — the proportion of usable energy remaining compared to original factory capacity — across more than 50 retired units. All inspected cells retained roughly 85% of original nameplate capacity. Field instruments had recorded capacity retention above 90% during operating rounds in late 2025. Controlled bench testing in Ningde confirmed the true operational baseline sits closer to 85%, the company said. Physical disassembly of the cells showed the internal lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode and graphite anode lattices remained intact. Electrochemical cycling demonstrated normal lithium intercalation, with no severe lithium plating or active material detachment. The tested units can deliver roughly 1,000 additional charge cycles, CATL said. That mechanical endurance translates into roughly 10 years of secondary service in auxiliary or low-frequency grid installations. State Grid Corporation of China operated the 63 MWh Zhangbei site to buffer power from wind turbines and solar arrays, later channeling clean electricity to venues during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Four battery manufacturers supplied equipment to the Zhangbei demonstration compound in 2011. Three peer suppliers required cell overhauls or experienced early retirements, leaving CATL as the sole supplier with zero cell replacements over 14 years. CATL Chairman Robin Zeng first cited the Zhangbei site on Sept. 3 at the 2026 World Power Battery Conference in Yibin. Zeng pointed to the 14-year field record as evidence that prolonged cycle life lowers the levelized cost of storage. Longer cell lifespans alter the financial model for utility-scale energy storage systems. Battery packs retired from automotive use at 70% to 80% capacity can transition into stationary grids without immediate chemical recycling. Direct repurposing cuts capital overhead for stationary developers. Reusing intact packs delays pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processing, which consume significant power and chemical reagents to recover basic lithium, nickel and cobalt salts. South Korean cell manufacturers LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI hold roughly 12% and 4% shares of global stationary installations. Both firms rely primarily on nickel-cobalt chemistries, which face steeper degradation curves than phosphate blends. Chinese utility operators added 21.81 gigawatts of new-type energy storage during the first half of 2026, according to China Energy Storage Alliance data. Lithium-ion battery installations accounted for over two thirds of the total volume. Standardized testing of retired cells addresses safety concerns that previously restricted second-life projects in East Asia. Regulators in Beijing restricted repurposed cells in large utility projects in 2021 following fires at legacy storage sites. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology implemented mandatory lifecycle tracking rules on April 1, 2026, under the Interim Measures for the Management of Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization of Retired Power Batteries. The regulation requires scrap batteries to carry unique digital identification. A complementary national safety standard, GB/T 46261-2025, took effect on Sept. 1, 2026. The document establishes mandatory multi-parameter thermal monitoring and warning thresholds for grid-connected battery stations. The teardown findings rest entirely on internal testing conducted by CATL, and the company has not published validation reports from an independent third-party certification agency. CATL has also not published commercial contracts, warranty guidelines or manufacturing schedules for standardized second-life battery packs assembled from decommissioned cells. CATL is scheduled to release its third-quarter financial results on Oct. 19, 2026. The company will review field data from European and domestic grid trials before determining commercial terms for second-life modules. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 14-year LFP cell durability validation | LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI face wider LFP cost advantage in stationary storage tenders | CATL expands technical justification for secondary utility storage under new MIIT recycling rules | Utility storage integrators gain operating metrics for LFP cell degradation over 10-plus years | Second-life battery economics improve as teardowns prove 10 additional operating years | ## In this story - **Companies:** Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited - **Tickers:** 300750.SZ, 03750.HK - **Exposed:** State Grid Corporation of China, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI - **Policy:** Economic Security - **Impact:** Supply Chain, Cost Structure, Capex ## Primary sources 1. digitaltoday.co.kr 2. teslant.com 3. catl.com 4. bessmanufacturers.com 5. cnesa.org --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "CATL says 14-year-old LFP cells retain 85% capacity after tests," September 27, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/batteries-ev/catl-says-14-year-old-lfp-cells-retain-85-390