According to EnergyTrend on-site at SNEC 2026, CATL unveiled the latest commercialization progress of its sodium-ion battery energy storage solutions. Per its roadmap, CATL will deliver the first batch of sodium-ion energy storage systems to customers officially in September this year (Q3), with full-year shipments hitting the GWh level.
The industry widely holds that the commencement of these mass deliveries marks the official entry of sodium-ion energy storage into a new stage of large-scale commercialization at the GWh scale.
Major cooperation deals had already emerged long before the exhibition. On May 17, CATL signed a strategic cooperation agreement on sodium-ion battery energy storage with Hithium covering 60 GWh, currently the world’s single largest sodium-ion energy storage order by capacity.
Thanks to accumulated sodium-ion technology and prepared capacity construction, numerous energy storage enterprises are now capable of mass production of sodium-ion products.
CATL kicked off R&D of sodium-ion batteries back in 2016, with cumulative investment approaching RMB 10 billion over the years. It has successfully tackled multiple mass-production bottlenecks including moisture control for hard carbon electrodes and cell gas generation. Its dedicated sodium-ion production line in Fuding has been put into operation and is ready for large-volume manufacturing.
In terms of product performance, CATL’s energy-storage-specific sodium-ion cells exceed 300 Ah in capacity and deliver a cycle life of 15,000 cycles. They operate stably across a wide temperature range of -40°C to 70°C, fully meeting the requirements of mainstream applications such as large-scale energy storage with 2–8 hour discharge duration and AIDC infrastructure.
Sodium-ion Transformation Sweeps Energy Storage Market; Leading Players Race to Scale Up
The trend of sodium-ion adoption in the energy storage sector has become increasingly evident. Driven by technological maturation, steady cost reductions and a stream of signed orders, major Chinese enterprises are accelerating mass production, delivery and scenario deployment of sodium-ion energy storage products based on their respective technical routes and capacity plans, shaping a landscape featuring differentiated competition across the industry.
CATL: Its dedicated sodium-ion production line is operational. Backed by the landmark 60 GWh order, it has consolidated its leading industry position. Mass deliveries will start in Q3, targeting GWh-level annual shipments.
REPT BATTERO: Focused on long-duration energy storage, it has rolled out ultra-large 320 Ah energy-storage-specific cells with over 20,000 cycles and energy efficiency ≥97%, suited for 4–8 hour long-duration storage. Multiple letters of intent for energy storage projects have been secured.
HiNa Battery: Commissioned China’s first large-capacity sodium-ion energy storage power station in May 2024 and the nation’s first hundred-MWh-class sodium-ion storage station in October 2025, completing demonstration verification for large-scale storage applications ahead of peers.
EVE Energy: Connected its first sodium-ion energy storage system to the grid in September 2025 and launched a 2 GWh sodium-ion project in December the same year.
BYD: Released its 3rd-generation sodium-ion battery platform in February 2026 with cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles, targeting energy storage, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Mass production and delivery are scheduled within the year.
Gotion High-Tech: Unveiled its Natrium Battery in May 2026 with an energy density of 160 Wh/kg and a 15% lower cost compared with LFP batteries, boasting prominent cost advantages. Large-scale mass production and delivery are slated for Q4 2026.
Pylontech: Its large aluminum-shell sodium-ion storage cells achieve 8,000 cycles. Certified by multiple authoritative international bodies, the products are export-ready. The firm will continue prototype development and project matchmaking for sodium-ion storage in 2026.
Veken Technology: Develops storage cells via the polyanion route. Its 2 GWh sodium-ion production line in Nanchang was completed and commissioned in October 2025, focusing on energy storage and light mobility applications. Letters of intent have been received for certain industrial & commercial storage and backup power projects.
Great Power: Completed pilot trials for sodium-ion storage cells, featuring an energy density of 145–150 Wh/kg and no less than 6,000 cycles. A 2 GWh sodium-ion capacity plan is in place, with strategic focus on industrial & commercial storage and telecom base station backup power markets.
Sunwoda: Adopts the Prussian white technical route for storage cells, which attain over 8,000 cycles and outstanding wide-temperature performance. Storage system prototypes will be rolled out in Q3 this year, followed by small-batch shipments in Q4.
Hithium: As an energy storage system integrator, it sealed a long-term partnership with CATL in May this year to jointly execute the 60 GWh sodium-ion storage project. A hybrid lithium-sodium storage demonstration station will also be built within the year to accelerate the adoption of sodium-ion products in large-scale storage scenarios.
The upstream material segment has also made synchronized breakthroughs. Enterprises including Ronbay Technology and Wanhua Chemical have realized mass production of sodium-ion cathode materials and hard carbon anode materials, continuously driving down overall industrial chain costs.
Industry forecasts project robust growth in global sodium-ion battery shipments in 2026, with a rising share captured by energy storage applications. With mass deliveries initiated by leading manufacturers, sodium-ion energy storage is poised to penetrate rapidly in long-duration storage, extreme-cold-region storage and other scenarios, evolving into an essential complement to the broader energy storage market.
Source：EnergyTrend
