On June 22, 2026, at a launch event in Munich, CATL introduced the TENER Sodium Energy Storage System, the first sodium-ion battery energy storage solution validated in real-world settings. The company reports that the system has achieved full commercial maturity in its technology, production capacity and supply chain. CATL anticipates cumulative shipments of 1 GWh by the end of 2026, with international deliveries scheduled to begin in June 2027.
Sodium-ion batteries rely on sodium, an element over 1,000 times more abundant than lithium and distributed globally. CATL emphasizes sodium’s advantages in safety, extreme-temperature performance and cost potential as renewable energy integration and AI-driven power demand increase. By diversifying beyond lithium, the company aims to reduce supply chain risks and support energy storage infrastructure worldwide.
The TENER Sodium system features a fully modular architecture offering more than 30 MWh of rated capacity per module. Each module weighs approximately 42 tonnes, and only 34 modules are required for a 1 GWh installation. Energy and power blocks are decoupled, allowing storage durations of 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours. Faulty modules can be isolated and replaced independently, improving station availability and lowering operating expenses.
CATL has also developed a station-level platform tailored for sodium chemistry. A bidirectional voltage regulation system boosts low-range voltages and raises round-trip efficiency by nearly 2 percent. A dedicated BMS leverages sodium’s sloping voltage curve for more accurate state-of-charge estimation and adds a 20 percent overcharge tolerance. A top-discharge airflow design reduces heat generation by about 30 percent, and a liquid-cooling system cuts auxiliary power consumption from 2 percent to 1 percent. The solution operates at 65 decibels—10 dB quieter than traditional systems—and shares the same footprint as lithium-iron-phosphate setups, enabling seamless chemistry swaps without redesigning enclosures.
CATL’s sodium-ion R&D dates back to 2016, with nearly €1.2 billion invested and more than 1,600 patent families secured. Manufacturing capacity now includes 40 GWh at its Fuding site and 160 GWh planned in Shandong. In April 2026, CATL signed a three-year, 60 GWh contract with HyperStrong, marking sodium-ion’s entry into gigawatt-scale deployments. Domestic deliveries begin in September 2026, supporting the technology’s global commercialization.
Source: CATL (https://www.catl.com/en/news/6861.html)
