The final of the 2026 BRICS Industrial Innovation Competition concluded successfully in Xiamen recently. Under the theme Gather BRICS Wisdom for Innovation & Development, Accelerate the New Industrial Revolution, Shenzhen ZH Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. stood out among global participants and won the Excellent Project Award with its project of high-safety and low-cost iron-sulfur flow batteries.

A Diverse Competition Platform Winning Global Recognition

As a top-tier event for industrial innovation across BRICS and partner countries, the competition centers on "Innovative BRICS" and "Green BRICS", with five tracks: artificial intelligence, green industry, low-altitude equipment, energy electronics and wind power equipment. Launched in March this year, preliminary contests were held across multiple countries. A total of 1,428 entries were submitted, drawing innovative teams from China, Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cuba, Uzbekistan and other regions.

In this global innovation competition, ZH Energy’s project passed rigorous reviews by an international panel of experts for its technological novelty, market potential and practical value, and was named an Excellent Project. This honor recognizes our technical strength and represents global market recognition of China’s flow battery technology.

Iron-Sulfur Flow Battery: Unlocking New Possibilities for Energy Storage

The awarded project — High-safety & Low-cost Iron-Sulfur Flow Battery — targets the industry’s urgent demand for safe, affordable and long-lived energy storage solutions. Centered on iron-sulfur electrolyte system, it addresses the safety hazards and cost limitations of conventional energy storage batteries.

Ultimate Safety: Adopting aqueous electrolyte with zero risk of fire or explosion.

Cost Reduction & Efficiency Gains: Low-cost sulfur and iron are used as active materials, greatly cutting electrolyte costs and paving the way for large-scale commercialization.

Long Lifespan: Stable active substances deliver far more charge-discharge cycles than traditional batteries, lowering the full-lifecycle cost.

Abundant Resources: Sulfur and iron are widely available globally, eliminating reliance on specific mineral suppliers.

This technological breakthrough tackles the common challenges faced by BRICS members and developing nations: advancing low-carbon transition at manageable costs while ensuring energy independence

Innovation as a Bridge, Connecting the Future of Global Energy

Zh Energy stood out among international entries thanks to consistent investment in R&D, embodying Chinese energy storage enterprises’ engagement in global energy innovation cooperation. China’s innovations support the domestic dual-carbon goals, and also offer a low-cost, high-safety and replicable pathway for energy transition worldwide.

This award is not an end, but a new starting point for Chinese technology to evolve into a BRICS solution and eventually a global solution.