Shanghai (ZXZC)- China has scrapped the “white list” of recommended battery suppliers on June 21, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced on the same day.

Some foreign companies said this decision could open up the world's largest market for EV batteries, citing a report from Reuters. 

（Photo source: China's battery maker CATL)

The MIIT issued in March 2015 the Standard Conditions for the Automobile Power Storage Battery Industry (hereinafter referred to as the Standard Conditions), saying that from May 1, 2015, EV makers were allowed to voluntarily file an application via a specific management system and those who satisfied relevant conditions required by the Standard Conditions would be embraced into the Catalogue of recommended EV battery suppliers, namely, the aforesaid "white list"

The "white list" was significant to EV sellers for getting government's NEV subsidies. The Standard Conditions clearly stated that only the NEVs that used batteries offered by suppliers included on the “white list” were qualified to enter the Catalogue of Recommended Models for the Project of New Energy Automobile Popularization and Application, the prerequisite for EV makers to get subsidy.

From the time being, the MIIT has released four batches of list with a total of 57 enterprises involved. However, some Japanese and Korean battery giants such as Samsung, LG and Panasonic have not been eligible for entering the Catalogue yet.

In November 2016, the MIIT released the Standardized Requirements for the Automobile Power Storage Battery Industry (Draft for Comment) to solicit public comments, adjusting and improving the Standard Conditions from the aspects of production capacity, safety requirements, R&D ability and recycling.

According to the Draft, manufacturers of single lithium ion power storage batteries shall have an annual capacity of no less than 8 billion watt-hours, and manufacturers of battery systems shall have an annual capacity of no less than 80,000 sets or 4 billion watt-hours.