[CATL Zeng Yuqun: Energy storage system-level challenges must be solved by underlying innovations in materials and electrochemical systems] On October 15, Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, said at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Energy Storage Conference that energy storage is gradually being upgraded from supporting facilities for new energy to an indispensable new infrastructure for the power system. As application scenarios continue to expand, energy storage technology faces higher requirements. Different application environments have different requirements for system performance such as thermal stability, low-temperature capacity retention, and power response speed. These system-level challenges will ultimately be solved by underlying innovations in materials and electrochemical systems. CATL is leveraging the advantages of sodium batteries in low-temperature performance and resource endowment to complement lithium batteries, and continues to ensure the operational stability of battery cells in high-temperature environments through material innovation and structural innovation. (Reporter Liu Mengran)