A few years ago, talk of sodium-ion batteries focused on whether they would ever become commercially viable. The concept is compelling — sodium is abundant and cheap — but the price of raw materials is one thing, manufacturing batteries at scale is something else entirely. That’s why some people are less than ecstatic this week about the news that Chinese scientists have developed a flow battery for energy storage that begins with nothing but iron phosphate, a common industrial compound that is 80× less expensive than lithium hydroxide. Just last week, CATL included news about its latest iteration of a sodium-ion battery for electric cars as part of its Super Technology Day. Then this week, the company announced it has entered into an agreement with HyperStrong, one of China’s largest energy storage companies, to supply it with 60 GWh of sodium-ion batteries over the next three years. Strategic Cooperation In a press statement, HyperStrong said it had formed a strategic cooperation agreement with CATL “on sodium-ion batteries for energy storage, establishing a three-year partnership totaling 60 GWh, marking a pivotal milestone toward the large-scale deployment of sodium-ion batteries in the energy storage industry. As sodium-ion batteries enter a scaling development phase, both parties will continue to deepen their collaboration, promote high-quality development in the energy storage industry, and provide more resilient and diversified technological solutions to support the global energy transition.” The agreement comes after many years of close cooperation between the two companies, who have now agreed to “work closely across technology R&D, product applications, and project implementation, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage. This agreement represents the world’s largest sodium-ion battery cooperation announced to date.” HyperStrong added that “sodium-ion batteries offer distinct advantages, including wide operating temperature adaptability, strong high-temperature cycling performance, lower heat generation during operation, reduced mechanical stress from cell expansion, and enhanced safety and stability. In long duration energy storage applications, sodium-ion batteries can simplify system architecture, reduce auxiliary power consumption, and improve overall efficiency and project economics. They also demonstrate significant potential in facilitating renewable energy integration in remote areas.” CATL said the deal proves it has “overcome the challenges of the entire sodium-ion battery mass production chain.” That includes solving manufacturing issues such as energy density limitations, foaming during production, and moisture sensitivity, according to Interesting Engineering. A Turning Point For BESS Energy Storage News called the announcement a “turning point” in BESS technology. It reported that CATL claims the agreement shows it “has overcome the challenges of the entire sodium-ion battery mass production chain and has the capability for large-scale delivery.” Specifically, it has solved the problems of energy density and process problems of foaming and moisture control during manufacturing. Sodium-ion batteries from CATL have a capacity of over 300 Ah and an energy density of about 160 Wh per kilogram. Their system energy efficiency is 97 percent and they can last more than 15,000 charge cycles while retaining 80 percent of their capacity. The batteries operates from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius (-40°F to 158°F), which is a wider temperature than most lithium-ion BESS systems. Matching The Size Of Lithium BESS CATL has also made its sodium-ion energy storage systems match the size of its lithium-ion products. This allows them to fit into existing infrastructure without major changes, reducing installation costs, and speeding up deployment. One presumes that with the reduced risk of fire associated with sodium-ion batteries, some of the cooling systems needed for lithium storage units has been eliminated, allowing more sodium battery cells to be added to the system containers. Sodium-ion has better thermal management, operating temperature, and deep discharge capabilities than lithium-ion, but, so far, lithium-ion has a longer cycle life and far superior energy density. Lithium-ion is currently cheaper, but sodium-ion has a lower theoretical cost thanks to cheaper raw materials, ESN said. The sodium-ion technology is expected to emerge as an alternative to lithium-ion, but so far it has only been deployed at scale in China. A 720 MWh order from Peak Energy, a US battery storage company in 2025, appeared to mark a significant step forward for the technology, but the scale of the agreement between CATL and HyperStrong represents an even bigger step change. Last year, HyperStrong and CATL entered into an agreement for 200 GWh of batteries over ten years. At the time, it was assumed those batteries would all be lithium based. The announcement this week suggests otherwise. HyperStrong primarily does business in China, but is expanding globally.
+41 others
