Only with fundamental breakthrough and application of new-type energy storage materials could revolutionary change be brought to energy storage and transportation technology, which is the key to energy conservation, emission reduction and energy transition. Over the Two Sessions (the National People's Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference), Pan Fusheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, chairman of Chongqing Association for Science and Technology and a CQU professor, brought forward his recommendation to expedite the development of new-generation energy storage material and equipment sector of China, which was the result of the strategic research carried out by Professor Pan Fusheng, Academician Gan Yong and Academician Li Wei.

"We found that the development of new-generation energy storage materials and equipment sector is the rigid demand for the extensive application of clean energy in China." According to Academician Pan Fusheng, from the perspective of carbon emission control, further reduction of energy consumption in industrial production process and the promotion and application of new-energy vehicles and other means of transportation are important ways of saving energy and reducing emission, and extensive application of renewable energy is the key to energy transition and extensive application of clean energy. However, electric vehicles in China now mainly rely on thermal power, which actually plays little role in energy conservation and emission reduction. The promotion and application of renewable energy technology represented by wind energy and optical energy is rather difficult because there is no safe and reliable energy storage and transportation technology and equipment. In order to achieve extensive application of clean energy, it is necessary to develop new energy storage and transportation technology.

It is reported that the energy storage methods currently used in China mainly include pumped storage, electrochemical energy storage, hydrogen storage, heat storage, and mechanical energy storage, which are notorious for their low energy storage efficiency, poor safety performance, and serious environmental pollution. Hydrogen energy is the ideal power supply for the next generation of electric vehicles. However, efficient and safe storage and transportation of hydrogen is now a major bottleneck restricting the application of hydrogen energy. At present, the power supply of most of electric vehicles is lithium battery. But lithium battery has its disadvantages, such as shortage of resources, high cost, serious environmental pollution, and poor safety. In particular, the shortage in strategic resources has become a major bottleneck restricting the sound and sustainable development of the new energy vehicles of China in the future.

With regard to this, the three academicians suggested that the new energy storage technology and industrial fields, as well as strategic development priorities, be identified in a scientific way, so as to ensure scientific classification and establish the reasonable scope of policy support. As for research, efforts should be made to increase investment in the development of subversive and cutting-edge new-generation energy storage materials and equipment technology, and particular importance should be attached to the development and application of magnesium energy storage materials with strategic significance.

"Material development is the basis for the development of energy storage sector." Academician Pan Fusheng said that development of new-generation energy storage materials and equipment should focus on solving the bottleneck problems with traditional energy storage. New-generation energy storage materials and equipment should be supported by rich resources, and should be safe, inexpensive and environment-friendly. As for material research, the focus should be on the development of new-generation hydrogen storage and transportation technologies such as solid hydrogen storage and transportation and pipeline transportation of new materials, and other new-generation battery materials and systems such as magnesium batteries, sodium batteries, metal-air batteries and solid-state lithium battery. In particular, according to Pan, in the field of magnesium battery and magnesium hydrogen storage, China is in possession of rich magnesium resources, which account for more than 70% of the world, and can meet the development and application needs for more than a thousand years. It can play a significant role in solving the shortage of lithium battery resources and the safe storage and transportation of hydrogen.

"In the field of new-generation cutting-edge energy storage materials, China boasts a solid technical foundation and advantages on the international level." According to Academician Pan Fusheng, the National Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys of Chongqing University has the largest magnesium battery research team and magnesium solid-state hydrogen storage team in the world. A variety of magnesium ion batteries and magnesium hydrogen storage materials developed by the Center are at the world leading level in terms of main indicators. The technical indicators of various sodium batteries developed by Shanghai Jiaotong University and other organizations are also at the world leading level, and the engineering of magnesium solid-state hydrogen storage is currently in process. Beijing General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals and other organizations have initiated large-scale industrial applications of rare earth solid hydrogen storage. Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong Guoyan Scientific and Technological Research Center Co., Ltd., Chongqing University and China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd. have also laid a solid foundation for the new-generation energy storage equipment and testing technology. China has the ability to coordinate national and global efforts to carry out related work. However, at present, the state government is offering little support for the real new-generation energy storage materials and equipment. It is suggested that relevant authorities concentrate efforts on the coordination, give full play to institutional advantages and draw on the advantages of China in strategic resource represented by magnesium, and increase investment in the development of disruptive and cutting-edge new-generation energy storage materials and equipment technology, while strengthening the improvement and promotion of traditional energy storage technologies such as pumped power storage

At the same time, China should establish the National Institute of New Energy Storage Materials and Equipment without delay, and initiate the construction of the National Laboratory of "New Energy Storage Materials and Equipment"; and expedite the development of professional technical service institutions for new-generation energy storage materials and equipment. Besides, China should make all-out efforts to build a world-class research platform in the field of new-generation energy storage materials and equipment within 3-5 years, where world-class talents carry out related work, and develop new energy storage and transportation materials and equipment technologies urgently needed by China.