CATL Announces Sodium Battery Mass Production, Marking Historic Turning Point

The industrialization of sodium-ion batteries has reached a historic turning point. At the 2026 Equipment Power Forum on May 30, Wu Ke, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief scientist at CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd.), confirmed that CATL will achieve mass production of a series of sodium-ion battery products this year. This timeline represents an acceleration from the company's earlier projection of "Q4 2026 scale production" announced at its Super Tech Day in April. Wu highlighted sodium batteries' strategic advantages over lithium-ion counterparts, particularly their abundant raw material supply. Sodium is the sixth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, fundamentally eliminating supply chain concentration risks associated with lithium, of which 75% is concentrated in the Americas. This structural advantage has become increasingly critical in the current geopolitical environment. On the cost front, sodium batteries are rapidly gaining competitiveness. According to Dongguan Securities research, rising lithium carbonate prices since H2 2025 have accelerated sodium battery industrialization. Analysts project sodium battery costs could fall below RMB 0.40/Wh in 2026, approaching current LFP battery prices, and potentially dropping below RMB 0.30/Wh as technology matures and scale effects emerge. CATL has invested nearly RMB 10 billion in sodium battery R&D as of 2025. Company chairman Robin Zeng has predicted sodium batteries will eventually replace 30-40% of the existing battery market share. Beyond CATL, the entire supply chain is mobilizing, with suppliers from cathode materials to electrolytes ramping up production capacity. The China Galaxy Securities forecast is notably optimistic, projecting global sodium battery shipments of 25 GWh in 2026, 92 GWh in 2027, and 221 GWh in 2028—representing triple-digit year-on-year growth. Industry analysts believe 2026 will mark the first year of scaled sodium battery application, with companies positioned early in the supply chain likely to capture significant growth dividends.