CATL announced the launch of TENER Sodium, a sodium-ion energy storage system designed for commercial deployment.
The company said TENER Sodium is the world’s first real-world validated sodium-ion energy storage solution.
CATL unveiled the system in Munich, Germany, and said the product has reached commercial maturity across technology, production capacity, and supply chain readiness.
Cumulative shipments are expected to reach 1 GWh by the end of 2026, with global deliveries scheduled to begin in June 2027.
TENER Sodium is powered by CATL’s latest sodium-ion technology and delivers more than 30 MWh of rated capacity on a fully modular architecture.
The modular design is intended to simplify project deployment, provide flexible storage durations, and reduce maintenance costs by allowing faulty modules to be isolated and replaced independently.
The system supports storage durations of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours, depending on project requirements.
CATL said the system was designed specifically for sodium-ion energy storage, with a dedicated bidirectional voltage regulation system, a sodium-optimized battery management system, lower auxiliary energy consumption, and a low-noise design.
The system is also compatible with LFP systems and shares the same physical footprint, allowing customers to switch between sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries without changing enclosures, redesigning projects, or repeating certification processes.
CATL said it has invested nearly €1.2 billion in sodium-ion battery research and development since 2016. The company has also accumulated more than 1,600 patent families and more than 200 globally granted patents related to the technology.
CATL has invested RMB 5 billion to expand sodium-ion production lines at its Fuding base, adding 40 GWh of annual capacity. Its Jining base in Shandong has planned 160 GWh of sodium-ion production capacity.
The company said it will begin delivering its first sodium-ion energy storage systems to customers in China this September.
In April 2026, CATL and HyperStrong signed a three-year, 60 GWh sodium-ion commercial energy storage order.
CATL said the launch of TENER Sodium marks a new phase in which lithium and sodium together can support next-generation energy storage infrastructure.
KEY QUOTES:
“CATL is committed to promoting energy independence around the world while delivering long term value for our customers. To achieve this we have made it our mission to develop a new battery chemistry based upon abundant resources available across all continents, one that can support the energy needs of all eight billion people, while offering longer cycle life and enhanced safety. We believe that sodium and lithium together will form the twin foundations of the future energy storage system.”
William Wu, Director of CATL’s Energy Storage Technology Center
“The energy storage industry has moved beyond a race for scale. Today, success is increasingly defined by the ability to create long-term value. The principle we most firmly believe in is that readiness creates certainty.”
Amanda Xu, CTO ESS and President of ESS Europe at CATL
