Chinese battery giant CATL is planning a major expansion of its sodium-ion battery manufacturing capacity, adding 40GWh of annual production at its Fuding Shidai site in Fujian province, China.
According to documents filed with environmental authorities in Ningde, the project will involve investment of around 5 billion yuan ($735 million) and will be carried out by CATL subsidiary Fuding Shidai as a standalone facility separate from existing production lines.
The expansion is expected to take 24 months and will include new production lines for cells, electrodes, modules and testing, along with associated infrastructure. Once the sixth expansion phase is complete, the total planned capacity of the Fuding site is expected to reach 149GWh.
CATL’s cooperation with HyperStrong
The move follows what CATL described as the world’s largest sodium-ion battery supply agreement to date. In April, the company signed a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese energy storage system integrator HyperStrong covering 60GWh of sodium-ion batteries for stationary energy storage applications.
“This partnership marks CATL’s successful breakthrough across the entire value chain for mass production of sodium-ion batteries,” the company said. “It also represents the largest sodium-ion battery supply agreement in the world to date, ushering in a new phase of large-scale expansion for the global sodium-ion battery industry.”
Sodium-ion technology has become a growing focus for Chinese battery manufacturers because it reduces dependence on lithium and other critical raw materials while potentially offering lower costs and improved low-temperature performance.
CATL unveiled its latest sodium-ion products earlier this year under its Naxtra branding, targeting applications including grid-scale storage, commercial energy systems and electric vehicles.
The company has stated previously that it expects sodium-ion batteries to enter mass production by the end of 2026.
According to Reuters, CATL said it had improved the energy density of its sodium-ion batteries and resolved manufacturing challenges including moisture control, helping pave the way for large-scale commercial deployment.
Photo: an advertisement for CATL batteries greets passengers arriving at Frankfurt Airport. Frankfurt is the nearest airport to Mainz, which is host this week to the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference Europe (AABC) and workshops of the Automotive Low-Voltage Battery Advancements (ALBA)
Credit: James Snodgrass
