Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has announced that its first sodium-ion battery energy storage systems will be shipped to customers in September, with annual gigawatt-hour-scale deliveries expected in 2026. The timetable was shared by the company’s domestic energy storage solutions chief technology officer, Lin Jiubiao, at a sodium-ion industry conference in China, offering one of the most definitive commercialization roadmaps for the technology so far.

Although sodium-ion batteries have been in development since the 1970s, they have historically lagged behind lithium-ion in energy density, cycle life, and overall performance. CATL entered the segment in 2021 with its first-generation sodium-ion cells and unveiled its second-generation Naxtra chemistry in April 2025. The company aims to roll out the technology in passenger and commercial vehicles, battery-swapping systems, and stationary energy storage applications.

The September delivery will be the first large-scale deployment of CATL’s sodium-ion energy storage systems. Over 2026, the firm anticipates reaching GWh-level shipments, enabling wider adoption across multiple sectors. The disclosure follows reports that major manufacturers are accelerating their sodium-ion programs in response to higher lithium costs.

Falling material costs continue to be a key enabler of commercialization. Industry suppliers at the event observed that sodium-ion cathode materials are on a cost-reduction curve similar to that of early lithium iron phosphate batteries. Hard-carbon anodes have reached industrial-scale manufacturing, with costs projected to decline from 60,000–70,000 yuan per tonne in 2024 to 35,000–40,000 yuan per tonne in 2026, and longer-term targets below 25,000 yuan. Unlike lithium-ion, sodium-ion batteries draw on abundant sodium resources, reducing reliance on tight lithium supply chains.

Commercial arrangements are emerging in parallel. Energy storage integrator HyperStrong intends to accelerate sodium-ion deployments and build lithium-sodium hybrid demonstration power stations in 2026. CATL and HyperStrong have concluded a three-year supply agreement covering 60 GWh of sodium-ion battery systems.

Separately, CATL’s EnerD+ energy storage products have obtained China’s first national carbon footprint certification for lithium battery products, underscoring the company’s readiness for evolving carbon disclosure requirements. According to China EV DataTracker, CATL installed 88.58 GWh of batteries in Chinese electric vehicles from January through April 2026, maintaining a market share between 45% and 50%.