Would you like salt with that? CATL's Ground-breaking Sodium-Ion Battery

In the rapidly evolving world of renewable energy, advancements come thick and fast. One of the most exciting developments has emerged from CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer. Their new sodium-ion battery is set to revolutionize the renewable energy landscape, with substantial benefits for both the environment and energy systems.

Understanding Sodium-Ion Batteries

At its core, a sodium-ion battery operates on similar principles to lithium-ion batteries. The key difference lies in its main component: sodium. Sodium is salt. It is abundant and inexpensive, with no need for mining, making it a highly attractive alternative to lithium. This transition could significantly lower the cost of energy storage, crucial for integrating more renewable energy sources like solar and wind into our grids.

CATL claim their sodium-ion batteries boast a cost of approximately $10 per kilowatt-hour. This figure is 90% lower than current battery storage, making renewable energy solutions more accessible to a wider audience. According to CAtL, even factoring the costs of scaling and production the cost for the end user is set to be 60% lower than existing technology. By lowering storage costs, more households and businesses can adopt solar energy, helping to drive down our collective carbon emissions.

Performance You Can Rely On

One of the standout features of CATL's sodium-ion technology is its impressive charge and discharge cycles. The new batteries are designed to efficiently handle 10,000 charge, discharge cycles with a claim of only 4% degradation in performance. These batteries offer robust performance over a decades long lifespan. This longevity translates into greater reliability for energy storage solutions, ensuring that homes and businesses can rely on stored energy when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.

Another significant advantage of CATL's sodium-ion batteries is their enhanced fire safety. Traditional batteries can pose fire risks under certain conditions, but sodium-ion batteries are inherently safer due to their chemical properties. This feature greatly reduces concerns around potential safety hazards, reassuring consumers and businesses that they can utilize these cutting-edge batteries with confidence.

Scalability for a Growing Market

The scalability of this technology is as exciting as its performance. CATL has designed its sodium-ion batteries to be easily adaptable. The sodium batteries can be produced on the same production lines as lithium batteries with minimal changes. This means low cost, rapid scaling to meet market demand with low barriers to entry for existing battery manufacturers. Good news for energy dependent countries across the globe seeking to end their reliance on global supply chains for their energy needs. 

Renewable energy is much cheaper per kilowatt hour so the race to invest is on. Industry knows the consumer will choose with their wallets and investment in these technologies is  growing everywhere. Except in New Zealand of course where government energy investment and policy is driven by conservative ideology firmly rooted in the successes of last century.

In China by contrast, China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and LG Chem in South Korea are working together to advance key materials production for Sodium-Ion batteries. These two are targeting applications in “energy storage and low-speed electric vehicles” (pv-magazine). In time New Zealand may be able to use the technology developed by others to improve energy security at home as the raw materials for the batteries are ubiquitous. And if we have to still import the cathodes and so on its a lot more cost effective than importing the entire battery.

In Spain, start up Bihar Batteries have developed a prototype sodium battery and plan to expand production in 2026 to commercialise production using locally sourced and produced materials. Great news for energy security in Spain.

As the push for renewable energy solutions grows globally, the ability to scale production without compromising quality is crucial. This flexibility paves the way for a wider rollout of energy storage systems, supporting more homes and facilities transitioning to renewable energy.

Conclusion: A Cleaner, Greener Future

In summary, CATL's sodium-ion batteries represent a significant step forward in our quest for sustainable energy solutions. By offering lower costs, long-lasting performance, enhanced safety, and the ability to scale production, these batteries are set to revolutionize renewable energy systems. 

I can definitely see these batteries being used in electric scooters soon if their low cost per kilowatt hour achieves market dominance. The chat is that we could see a new era in battery technology where users buy a battery that lasts a lifetime and change the device they use it in. 

As we continue to invest in cleaner technologies, innovation like this  play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions and paving the way for a greener future. 

Transitioning to renewable energy has never been more feasible, and innovations like these ensure we’re moving in the right direction. It’s an exciting time for everyone invested in cleaner energy solutions, and companies like CATL are leading the charge.

Sources for this document include Matt Ferrell articles and you tube channel episode #278: The Super Cheap Battery Revolution

PV Magazine Pilar Sanchez Molina Article, 6 November 2025. Spanish Start up Bihar Batteries to commercialise sodium-ion batteries in 2026

PV Magazine Marija Maisch Article, 7 November 2025. LG Chem, Sinopec to jointly develop sodium-ion battery materials