(TMTPOST)—China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) and the Chinese power battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) have inked a strategic cooperation framework agreement in Beijing, according to Sinopec's official WeChat account.

China’s state-owned energy giant and leading battery producer are expected to work together in battery swapping and energy storage in the former’s refineries in accordance with the new agreement. The agreement also marks the first collaboration between them on the group level. Their subsidiaries had collaborated in joint ventures.  

Previously, Sinopec and CATL had joined hands to build Fujian's first "photovoltaic charging and inspection" energy station in Ningde city, where CATL is headquartered . The project, which was put into operation on August 1, 2022, integrates functions such as refueling, charging, photovoltaic power generation, convenient services, and car washing. It is equipped with six high-power DC fast charging piles with one gun each, which have bidirectional charging and discharging functions and battery detection functions. Its annual photovoltaic power generation is around 80,000 kWh, and it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,570 tons over its entire life cycle.

This time, the two parties have formed a strategic partnership at the group level. According to reports from Sinopec, the two parties had in-depth discussions on cooperation matters in new energy, chemical new materials, and technological innovation.

Some industry insiders believe that the two parties will focus on charging and battery swapping in future cooperation, and there may also be attempts to deploy energy storage in refineries.

CATL has made progress in energy storage cooperation with another oil and gas giant, PetroChina. PetroChina London and Quicker Energy, an energy storage and ultra-fast charging service platform of CATL, signed a memorandum of cooperation for the Light Storage and Charging Project in London on February 29.

They will work together with De Veranda, a well-known chain group in Europe, to build the "smart energy green carbon restaurant project" in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The project plans to use "light storage and charging" as the core technology to provide customers with "rooftop photovoltaic power generation, energy storage microgrid EMS management, and VIP charging services."