World’s biggest battery maker signs landmark deal for sodium-ion battery supply

Chinese battery manufacturing and technology giant CATL, the world’s biggest, has signed a massive and landmark deal for the supply of sodium-ion batteries with another Chinese energy storage company.

The deal – for 60 gigawatt hours of sodium-ion batteries over three years – is the largest of its kind in the world to date, and indicates that the mass production of sodium-ion batteries is finally upon us.

HyperStrong and CATL signed an initial strategic cooperation agreement in late-2025, which included a commitment from HyperStrong to procure no less than 20 GWh of battery cells from CATL as part of a large-scale deployment of its global energy storage business.

The fact that the new agreement has been increased is being framed by CATL as proof that it has “successfully overcome the challenges across the entire mass-production chain of sodium-ion batteries, reaching full large-scale delivery capacity.”

Unlike lithium-ion batteries, whose materials are less abundant and therefore more expensive, sodium-ion batteries are regarded as low-cost, sustainable, and safe alternative, relying instead on the planet’s abundant quantities of salt and allowing for increased recyclability.

CATL claims that it has addressed several challenges to improve the reliability of sodium-ion batteries, utilising morphology control and surface modification to enhance energy density.

Similarly, on the manufacturing side, CATL has also addressed process challenges in mass production to ensure consistency across large-volume production.

And while lithium-based batteries will likely continue to dominate the electric vehicle (EV) battery market – because of its better density – it is expected that the qualities of sodium-ion batteries will see them become increasingly popular for stationary energy storage applications, particularly in areas of extreme heat and cold.

Sodium-ion batteries are capable of operating across a wide temperature range, deliver high-temperature cycle life, generate less heat during operation, and boast lower cell expansion stress, resulting in increased safety and stability.

However, there is a possibility that sodium-ion batteries will also be used in EVs. In February, CATL signed a partnership agreement with Changan for the development of an EV powered by such batteries.

CATL says its Naxtra sodium-ion battery can achieve a pure-electric range of more than 400 km, and it says that as technology progresses it expects this to reach 500 to 600 km for pure-electric variants.

CATL’s sodium-ion energy storage batteries utilise a platform-based design with the same form factor as lithium-ion batteries, which aims to ensure increased compatibility with the existing industrial chain and reduce adaptation costs.

If you would like to join more than 29,000 others and get the latest clean energy news delivered straight to your inbox, for free, please click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.

If you wish to support independent media, and accurate information, please consider making a one off donation or becoming a regular supporter of Renew Economy. Please click here. Your support is invaluable.