CATL plans 40 GWh sodium battery capacity expansion after securing world's largest order

CATL plans to invest 5 billion yuan ($735 million) to build 40 GWh of sodium-ion battery capacity in Fujian.The expansion plan follows its recent record-breaking 60 GWh energy storage order for sodium batteries.(The CATL Naxtra sodium-ion battery, showcased at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Image credit: CnEVPost)CATL is scaling up its sodium battery production following its recent record-breaking global order.The world's largest battery maker plans to invest 5 billion yuan ($735 million) to significantly expand its sodium battery capacity.According to a public document released on Thursday by environmental authorities in Ningde, Fujian province — CATL's headquarters city — the expansion project will add 40 GWh of annual production capacity for sodium-ion power batteries. Join us on Telegram or Google News The expansion project will be constructed by CATL's wholly-owned subsidiary, Fuding Shidai, and will operate independently from existing factory facilities.The construction period for the entire project is estimated at 24 months, during which new facilities for battery cells, electrodes, capacity testing, and modules will be built, along with related auxiliary infrastructure.The company plans to purchase world-leading battery manufacturing equipment to build a brand-new, large-scale sodium-ion power battery production line to meet market demand.With the launch of this sixth-phase expansion project, the total planned capacity of the Fuding Shidai production base will reach 149 GWh.This ambitious, large-scale capacity expansion plan follows CATL's recent major market breakthroughs in the commercialization of the new type of batteries.Just on April 27, CATL reached a milestone strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese energy storage system provider HyperStrong.The two parties signed a three-year supply contract for 60 GWh of energy storage sodium-ion batteries, setting a new record for the industry.CATL said in a statement that this order — the world's largest for sodium batteries to date — marks the beginning of a new phase of explosive, large-scale growth for the industry.To establish a global dominant position in this new chemical system, CATL has made massive, long-term financial investments over the past few years.Official data shows that as of the end of 2025, the battery giant's cumulative investment in sodium battery research and development had approached 10 billion yuan.CATL launched its sodium-ion battery brand named Naxtra in April 2025, beginning to explore alternatives to lithium batteries under this new brand.The battery performs well in extreme cold conditions and offers significant advantages in system architecture simplification and comprehensive costs for long-duration energy storage applications.CATL founder and chairman Robin Zeng previously told investors that the company is currently actively developing its sixth-generation sodium battery products to adapt to diverse scenarios.He expects that in the long term, this low-cost sodium-ion battery is poised to replace 30% to 40% of the existing battery market share. CATL secures world's largest sodium-ion battery order in major tech shift CATL and HyperStrong signed a three-year, 60 GWh sodium-ion battery order for energy storage. ($1 = 6.8006 yuan)