Executive Summary: Supercapacitors, as one of the emerging energy storage technologies, offer advantages such as high power density, rapid charge/discharge rates, long service life, safety, and environmental friendliness compared to traditional batteries. They can partially or fully replace conventional chemical batteries and have broader application potential. With continuous technological advancements, the application fields of supercapacitors are expanding, and the market size is growing steadily. The global supercapacitor industry reached a market size of $1.818 billion in 2022 and is projected to exceed $2 billion in 2023.

Keywords: Supercapacitor Industry Status, Supercapacitor Industry Chain, Supercapacitor Development Trends

I. Overview

Supercapacitors represent a novel energy storage system positioned between traditional capacitors and rechargeable batteries. Typically composed of electrodes, current collectors, electrolyte, and a separator, they can achieve capacitances ranging from hundreds to thousands of Farads. Compared to conventional capacitors, they offer significantly larger capacity, higher specific energy or energy density, a wider operating temperature range, and exceptionally long service life. When compared to batteries, they provide higher specific power and are environmentally non-polluting. Based on different energy storage mechanisms, supercapacitors can be classified into two main categories: Electric Double-Layer Capacitors (EDLCs) and Pseudocapacitors. According to the type of electrolyte, they are divided into aqueous supercapacitors and organic supercapacitors. Based on whether the active materials in the electrodes are identical, they can be symmetric or asymmetric supercapacitors. Depending on the state of the electrolyte, they are categorized into solid-electrolyte supercapacitors and liquid-electrolyte supercapacitors.

Research and development of supercapacitors dates back to 1962, when SOHIO (Standard Oil Company of Ohio, USA) produced a 6V capacitor using carbon materials as electrodes. Subsequently, in 1970, the company developed a porous carbon supercapacitor with a non-aqueous electrolyte. After 1971, metal oxides or nitrides began to be used as active materials for electrochemical capacitor electrodes. In 1979, Japan applied developed supercapacitors in the battery starting systems of electric vehicles, marking the first commercial application of electrochemical capacitors. Research on supercapacitors in China began in the 1980s, initially led by universities and research institutions tackling technical challenges. After over two decades of continuous effort, Chinese researchers achieved significant results in the fields of electrode materials and electrolytes. In 2005, China established the "Supercapacitor Technical Standard," filling a historical gap in the industry's standards. The same year, the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences completed the R&D of a supercapacitor energy storage system for photovoltaic power generation systems. In 2006, the first supercapacitor bus line commenced commercial operation in Shanghai, and supercapacitors were successfully applied as energy storage devices in rubber-tired gantry cranes. In the following years, supercapacitors developed in China were successfully used in lighting systems for large venues and transportation hubs, and high-power supercapacitors for smart grids were also developed. In 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released China's first foundational standard for supercapacitors, the "Supercapacitor Classification and Model Designation Method," marking the formal entry of supercapacitor equipment into a standardized production phase. In 2017, the Ministry of Science and Technology officially included "Large-Capacity Energy Storage Systems and Applications Based on Supercapacitors" in the National Basic Research Program (also known as the 973 Program). In recent years, the supercapacitor industry has been in a period of rapid development both domestically and internationally. Driven by rapidly expanding market demand and national new energy policies, particularly alongside the rapid growth of China's new energy vehicle industry, China's supercapacitor industry has entered a fast track of rapid development.