Recently, the National Energy Administration released the Fifth Batch of First-of-its-Kind Major Technological Equipment in the Energy Sector, and the “Dynamically Reconfigurable Battery Energy Storage System” (DRBN-BEST) was successfully included.

Currently, global lithium-ion battery energy storage technology is advancing toward higher energy density, intelligence, and intrinsic safety. Under the fixed series-parallel application paradigm, inconsistencies among battery cells/modules inevitably produce a “battery system bottleneck effect,” leading to more than 50% degradation in available capacity and operational lifespan. This limitation prevents battery energy storage systems from achieving efficient, safe, reliable, and economical operation, severely restricting the development of large-scale battery storage systems.

As a transformative technology at the intersection of information and energy, the core concept of the DRBN-BEST is to introduce a system that shields terminal differences, similar to techniques used in the internet, into large-scale battery storage. By discretizing and digitally managing the continuous energy flow of individual cells/modules, the conventional fixed series-parallel connections are replaced with software-controlled dynamic reconfiguration. This fundamentally eliminates the “battery system bottleneck effect,” greatly enhancing system safety, reliability, lifespan, and efficiency. DRBN-BEST supports millisecond-level dynamic reconfiguration of battery network topology, microsecond-level rapid detection and isolation of faulty cells/modules, digital hybridization of multiple heterogeneous storage media, and seamless, lossless secondary use of retired EV batteries. Compared with fixed series-parallel battery management systems (BMS), DRBN-BEST offers higher safety, reliability, lower cost, and longer lifespan. Applications have demonstrated up to a 100% increase in system lifespan, over 15% improvement in usable capacity per charge-discharge cycle, and DC-side energy efficiency exceeding 95%.

Figure 1: Schematic of DRBN-BEST Operation Principle

Since 2020, a collaborative R&D team including Tsinghua University, China Three Gorges Corporation, Huadian Inner Mongolia Energy Co., Ltd., iBatteryCloud, and State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. has targeted the engineering application needs of hundred-megawatt-scale DRBN-BEST projects. Efforts focused on “core devices – battery control – intelligent operation & maintenance – system integration,” resulting in the development of the hundred-megawatt-scale DRBN-BEST system architecture and design. The team established a three-tier high-power energy flow coordination control system of “Digital Energy Swap System (DESS) – PCS – EMS,” and successfully developed the world’s first 50MW/100MWh and 100MW/200MWh dynamically reconfigurable battery energy storage systems.

The complete set of equipment has passed relevant type tests and verification by CNAS-accredited third-party agencies. Field applications and validation were conducted at the Three Gorges next-generation grid-friendly green digital energy storage station in Ulanqab, the Huadian Tengger “Desert, Gobi, Arid Wasteland” large-base DRBN-BEST station, and the Jiangsu high-renewable county-level smart distribution grid and new energy storage demonstration projects. These applications fully verified the reliability and stability of the system under real operational conditions, producing replicable and scalable system solutions.

Figure 2: Three Gorges Ulanqab 50MW/100MWh Next-Generation Grid-Friendly Green Digital Energy Storage Station

Figure 3: Huadian Tengger “Desert, Gobi, Arid Wasteland” Large-Base DRBN-BEST Station

Figure 4: Jiangsu High-Renewable County-Level Smart Distribution Grid and New Energy Storage Demonstration

The project relies on the China Three Gorges Corporation’s “Key Technologies for Large-Scale Advanced Power Storage”, the National Key R&D Program’s “Hundred-Megawatt-Scale Dynamically Reconfigurable Battery Energy Storage Technology”, as well as technology projects from China Huadian Corporation and the State Grid Corporation of China headquarters. The cumulative R&D period exceeds three years, with 54 granted invention patents, 15 software copyrights, and participation in seven standards, laying a solid foundation for the promotion and application of the results. The project has established a full-chain DRBN-BEST R&D and “industry-academia-research-application” collaborative innovation model, completing a closed-loop from basic research to large-scale commercialization, providing core support for the green and sustainable development of China’s battery energy storage industry.