Chaowei Group has commenced production at its new sodium-ion battery facility in Anqing, marking the start of a major push into lithium-free energy storage. Operations officially began on June 13, 2026, under the local production subsidiary Anqing Chaoren Energy Technology. The plant represents a 3.5 billion yuan (approximately 517.65 million USD) investment and delivers an initial annual capacity of 2 GWh of low-temperature traction cells.
Sodium-ion batteries rely on hard carbon anodes instead of graphite, since sodium ions are roughly 30 percent larger than lithium ions and cannot be accommodated by conventional graphite structures. Hard carbon feedstock is a key cost driver: synthetic phenolic resin–based variants offer specific capacities up to 335 mAh/g and can support continuous discharge rates of 10 C, while coal-derived alternatives aim for the lowest possible cost by using abundant local byproducts.
In 2024, hard carbon prices ranged from 60,000 to 70,000 yuan per ton, but industry observers anticipate costs falling to around 35,000 yuan per ton as coal-derived production scales up. This decline is expected to accelerate the timeline for sodium-ion batteries to reach cost parity with lithium-ion systems, with a target pricing floor near 40,000 yuan per ton. Lower material expenses could support full plant expansions up to 6.5 GWh, helping original equipment manufacturers integrate sodium battery platforms into entry-level electric vehicles.
To secure a stable local supply of hard carbon, Shaanxi Coal has received municipal approval for a 5.07 million yuan plant conversion project, which is designed to produce roughly 1,000 tonnes of hard carbon annually. This development supports broader efforts by battery makers and automakers—including recent sodium battery platform introductions by other industry leaders—to localize precursor production and strengthen domestic component chains.
The Anqing facility’s ramp-up underscores growing confidence in sodium-ion technology as a cost-effective alternative for mass-market electric mobility, particularly in regions where low-temperature performance and supply-chain security are critical. Continued advancements in hard carbon sourcing and cell chemistry optimization are expected to further improve the competitiveness of these lithium-free systems.
Source: CarNewsChina
