CATL Signs Three-Year Deal to Supply 60 GWh of Sodium-Ion Batteries to HyperStrong

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL signed a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing HyperStrong Technology on April 27, 2026, to deliver 60 GWh of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage projects. The agreement covers technology research and development, product application, and project implementation.

It builds on a broader framework agreement signed in November 2025, under which HyperStrong committed to procuring 200 GWh of battery cells from CATL over the period from 2026 to 2035.

The 60 GWh sodium-ion battery order is equivalent to half of the total energy storage battery volume CATL shipped in 2025. CATL possesses large-scale delivery capabilities for sodium-ion technology, according to the company. CATL has solved key manufacturing challenges around energy density, foaming, and moisture control during production of sodium-ion batteries, the company stated.

Sodium-ion batteries use sodium instead of lithium as the charge carrier. Sodium is roughly 1,000 times more abundant in the Earth’s crust than lithium. CATL’s energy storage sodium-ion cell is a 300+ Ah large-format product.

It has an energy density of about 160 Wh/kg. The cell has a system energy conversion efficiency of 97%. It has a cycle life exceeding 15,000 cycles at 80% capacity retention.

CATL designed the sodium-ion cells with the same dimensions as its lithium-ion products. CATL first unveiled its sodium-ion battery in 2021. 2% of the global EV battery market, according to SNE Research.

The deal marks what CATL calls proof that it has overcome the challenges of the entire sodium-ion battery mass production chain. By designing sodium-ion cells with the same form factor as lithium-ion, CATL eliminated major barriers to adoption, allowing energy storage integrators like HyperStrong to incorporate them into existing systems with minimal retooling.

“The agreement demonstrates it now possesses ‘large-scale delivery capabilities’ for sodium-ion technology — specifically that it has solved the key manufacturing challenges around energy density, foaming, and moisture control during production." — CATL The partnership positions CATL ahead in commercial-scale commitments for sodium-ion batteries, a technology seen as a hedge against lithium price volatility. Sodium's abundance and lower cost make it suitable for grid-scale energy storage where cost outweighs maximum energy density. Davis Zhang, a senior executive at battery supplier Suzhou Hazardtex, told the South China Morning Post that the deal could represent a turning point for the global energy storage battery industry by reducing costs and improving manufacturing efficiency.”