According to EnergyTrend, the sodium ion and lithium ion battery industries are seeing a boom in investment and construction. Domestic and overseas enterprises are ramping up their layouts, while multiple key global battery and material projects have made new progress including contract signing, environmental impact assessment (EIA) publicity and project commencement.
RMB 330 Million: New Progress for Sodium ion Battery Project in Feicheng, Shandong
On May 11, the Feicheng Branch of Tai’an Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment in Shandong Province published the basic information of the environmental impact assessment document for the pending review of the 1 GWh sodium ion battery production project of Shandong Lingyisi Advanced Materials Co., Ltd.
According to previous public notices, Shandong Lingyisi Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. plans to expand its production capacity in 2026 with an investment of RMB 330 million for a 1 GWh annual output sodium ion battery project. The project will be built in two phases, with Phase 1 and Phase 2 each producing 0.5 GWh of sodium ion batteries.
Founded in 2016, the company is located in Weilan Carbon Neutrality Science and Technology Industrial Park in Feicheng City, Shandong Province. It is a high tech enterprise focusing on the R&D, manufacturing and application of core materials and cells for sodium ion batteries.
Phase 1 of 200,000 Ton Annual Output Lithium Battery Material Project Starts Construction
On May 10, Zhongke Electric announced the full commencement of construction for Phase 1 of its Zhongke Star City Oman Integrated Lithium ion Battery Anode Material Base Project at the Sohar Free Zone in Oman.
The project has a planned total investment of no more than RMB 8 billion, with a designed annual output of 200,000 tons of lithium ion battery anode materials. It will be built in two parts, each with a planned annual capacity of 100,000 tons and an estimated construction period of 36 months. The initial production capacity of Phase 1 is scheduled to be gradually put into operation in 2027.
EIA Publicized for Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathode Material Project in Jiangsu
On May 7, according to the Changzhou Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment in Jiangsu Province, the environmental impact assessment document for the 240,000 ton annual output high performance lithium ion battery cathode material (lithium iron phosphate) project of Liyuan (Jiangsu) Technology Co., Ltd. was approved.
Located in Jintan District, Changzhou City, the project involves an investment of RMB 2 billion. The company will lease about 57,255.3 square meters of factory buildings to build the new 240,000 ton annual output high performance lithium ion battery cathode material (lithium iron phosphate) project. It will be implemented in two phases: Phase 1 plans to build a 120,000 ton high compaction lithium iron phosphate production line, scheduled for completion and commissioning in Q3 2026; Phase 2 will be launched in due course based on market conditions.
RMB 3.38 Billion Lithium Battery Project Lands in South China
On May 8, Cangzhou Mingzhu announced that it plans to jointly invest with Guangzhou Zengcheng Development Zone Eastern Center Investment Co., Ltd. to establish Guangzhou Mingzhu New Materials Co., Ltd. for the construction and implementation of the Cangzhou Mingzhu South China Base Project.
The project has a total investment of approximately RMB 3.38 billion, and the project company has a registered capital of RMB 1.2 billion, of which Cangzhou Mingzhu contributes RMB 900 million, holding a 75% equity stake. The project plans to build 8 wet process lithium battery separator production lines, 7 PE pipeline production lines (with 1 reserved), production workshops, warehouses, office buildings and supporting auxiliary facilities, as well as related auxiliary equipment for production, testing, environmental protection and safety.
It will develop a 2.4 billion square meter annual output wet process lithium ion battery separator project and a 30,000 ton annual output PE pipeline project. Upon full completion and operation, Cangzhou Mingzhu’s annual designed capacity of wet process lithium ion battery separators will reach 4.19 billion square meters, with PE pipelines hitting 229,500 tons per year.
35 GWh: CATL Expands Battery Production Capacity Again
On May 7, the Ningde Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment published the acceptance publicity for the review of the Environmental Impact Report (Form) for the Funing Times New Energy Battery Base Project (Phase 1 Jinchui Expansion).
Invested and constructed by Ningde Funing Times New Energy Co., Ltd., the project involves a total investment of RMB 3.7 billion in Ningde City, Fujian Province. Upon completion, it will deliver an annual new energy battery production capacity of about 35 GWh, consisting of 7 lithium ion battery production lines (4 cell production lines and 3 PACK assembly lines) with a construction period of 25 months.
Japan’s SoftBank Group Plans to Launch 1 GWh Energy Storage Manufacturing
On May 11, SoftBank Group of Japan announced plans to launch a large scale energy storage battery manufacturing project in Japan to meet surging power demand driven by AI data centers.
The project will be located at the former Sharp factory site in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, featuring two major bases: AX Plant and GX Plant. The GX Plant focuses on manufacturing battery cells and energy storage systems, scheduled to start operation in Fiscal Year 2027 and achieve an annual capacity of 1 GWh in Fiscal Year 2028.
Source：EnergyTrend