A new current is reshaping the global battery market. In the first half of 2026, global shipments of lithium-ion batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) reached 461 gigawatt-hour (GWh), up 71 percent from 270 GWh in the same period a year earlier, according to SNE Research. This represents a remarkable leap for the ESS market, especially compared with the 20 percent year-on-year growth in global battery demand for electric vehicles (EVs), which reached 609 GWh over the same period. Key drivers include rising energy demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, where speed and reliability are critical, and growth in renewable power generation, which requires solutions to address its intermittency. The expansion of AI data centers and the transition to renewable energy are powerful trends unlikely to reverse in the short term. As a result, the global ESS market is forecast to reach 1,870 GWh in annual shipments by 2035, roughly twice this year’s level. The Korean government is also stepping up efforts to develop the domestic ESS industry through a range of policy measures.