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Messe Frankfurt and China Electricity Council cooperate in the power and energy sector
23 Sep 2026
Messe Frankfurt and the China Electricity Council (CEC) are joining forces in the power and energy sector. As part of a new cooperation, the two organisations intend to explore opportunities for trade fairs and events focusing on power and energy supply.
Messe Frankfurt and the China Electricity Council want to combine their strengths in the power and energy sector.
The cooperation is intended to create new opportunities for trade fairs and events focused on power supply, sustainability, and energy infrastructure.
Rising electricity demand from AI data centres, electric vehicles, industry, and cooling is increasing the need for new technologies and infrastructure.
China plays a central role as a major market for green energy, grid expansion, and new energy technologies.
The cooperation aims to connect Chinese technology providers with international markets and strengthen knowledge exchange.
Global electricity consumption is growing. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), it is set to increase from 28,600 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025 to 30,700 TWh in 2027. Key drivers include the rapid expansion of AI data centres, the evolving electric vehicle market, and rising demand from industrial activity, cooling and digital infrastructure.
This development is increasing global demand for advanced power and electricity solutions, systems and infrastructure. Against this background, Messe Frankfurt and the China Electricity Council have signed a memorandum of understanding. The cooperation aims to facilitate access to the latest power, sustainability and energy infrastructure technologies for both international and Chinese stakeholders.
Sustainable energy solutions gain importance
Alongside rising energy demand, new energy solutions are gaining greater attention. Countries and regions are seeking to combat the effects of climate change while simultaneously reducing their reliance on fossil fuels.
According to the IEA, sustainable technologies are set to become the world's largest source of electricity generation, with growth of eight percent projected for 2026. Europe is also seeking to advance electrification. The EU Electrification Action Plan outlines the goal of increasing electricity's share of final energy consumption in the European Union to 32 percent by 2030.
The global push to increase electrification is creating a clear need for new technologies and investment in the corresponding infrastructure.
China expands its energy infrastructure
China plays an important role in this development. The country's power sector has undergone rapid transformation in recent years, supported by continued investment in green energy and sustainable capacity.
In 2026, China became the first country to surpass four billion kilowatts of installed power generation capacity. Green energy represents more than 60 percent of installed power capacity, while wind and solar together account for half of the national total.
China has also expanded its position in the development of new energy technologies. The country accounts for more than 40 percent of global patents in the new-energy sector. At the same time, China's power sector has developed a broad base of domestic solutions in sustainable energy, grid modernisation and energy storage.
Through their cooperation, CEC and Messe Frankfurt intend to connect innovative Chinese technology providers with worldwide markets. This is intended to create new business opportunities and channels for knowledge exchange that can support the development of cleaner, affordable and more resilient power systems.
International platforms for the power and energy sector
Both organisations bring different strengths to the cooperation. Messe Frankfurt has decades of experience in organising large-scale international trade fairs across various industry clusters, including relevant technology sectors such as building, manufacturing and electronic technologies.
The China Electricity Council contributes extensive industry expertise, cooperation with Chinese governmental agencies and a broad network within China's power sector. This spans generation, transmission, distribution and end-use applications.
The cooperation is intended to bring together government representatives, professional institutions, industry organisations, upstream and downstream enterprises, technology providers and global buyers. Messe Frankfurt will contribute its international network and resources, while CEC will bring its industry involvement and know-how. Together, the two organisations will explore future opportunities for trade fairs and events focusing on energy and power supply.
“Global trade fairs have an important role to play here, particularly in connecting China, which has emerged as a leading innovator in sustainable energy and cost-effective infrastructure technologies, with regions that need these solutions most.”
