CATL has secured another major win in the European sodium-ion battery energy storage market.
On October 10, Hangjia Shuo Energy Storage learned that Hubertus Jakobi, CEO of German system integrator Intilion, announced on his LinkedIn account yesterday that the company has reached an agreement with CATL (300750): over the next five years, Intilion will deploy Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects utilizing CATL's sodium-ion battery solutions in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), with a target total capacity of up to 3GWh.
This is a new order for CATL following its cumulative sodium-ion battery energy storage orders of 67GWh, bringing its total sodium-ion battery order volume for this year to 70GWh.
Intilion is no stranger. As early as 2020, it reached a Europe-wide partnership agreement with CATL; in May 2025, the two parties planned to collaborate on a 10GWh energy storage project in the German-speaking region.
Hubertus Jakobi described this collaboration as "an important step to further develop the technology portfolio and explore the potential of sodium-ion technology." He revealed that the sodium-ion battery solutions feature three key performance metrics: Round-Trip Efficiency (RTE) >96.5%, cycle life >15,000 times under high-temperature conditions, and capacity retention >90% at low temperatures.
From the launch of dedicated sodium-ion batteries for energy storage in April, to the release of sodium-ion battery energy storage systems in June, and consecutive contract signings in Europe in July and October, CATL is accelerating its layout in sodium-ion battery energy storage. It has secured a total of 70GWh in sodium-ion battery energy storage orders, accounting for 72.19% of its publicly disclosed total energy storage orders for 2026.
Specifically in Europe alone, CATL has secured 10GWh in energy storage orders, including sodium-ion battery energy storage collaborations such as 5GWh with Dutch company Alfen and 2GWh with European enterprise Solarpro. In addition to the aforementioned companies, Finnish energy company Merus Power also disclosed that it is adopting CATL's new sodium-ion battery-related products.
Why is the focus entirely on Europe? The "2026 Industry Reference Manual: Top 100 Supply Chain from Lithium-Ion to Sodium-Ion Battery Energy Storage" by Hangjia Shuo Energy Storage points out that Europe has rigid demand for sodium-ion battery energy storage, coupled with obvious shortcomings in local technological capabilities and production capacity, making it a crucial market for current sodium-ion applications.
Relevant institutions predict that starting in 2027, the cost of sodium-ion batteries will drop to EUR 40-50 per kilowatt-hour. The International Energy Agency (IEA) even anticipates that 2026 will be a pivotal year for sodium-ion batteries, with large-scale production expected to begin in 2027; the first batch of sodium-ion household batteries is expected to hit the European market between 2027 and 2028.
Beyond merely accelerating the application of sodium-ion battery energy storage, Europe is also vigorously supporting the development of its local sodium-ion battery manufacturing industry. As early as February, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) overwhelmingly adopted an exploratory opinion on the potential of sodium-ion battery manufacturing, explicitly positioning sodium-ion batteries as a strategic complement to lithium-ion batteries.
Meanwhile, European companies such as UNIGRID Battery in the Netherlands are advancing local production. European local sodium-ion battery enterprises like Tiamat Energy in France and Altris AB in Sweden have begun deploying production lines, while companies such as Phenogy in Switzerland and Moonwatt in the Netherlands have landed small-scale sodium-ion battery energy storage projects. In the future, competition between Chinese and European sodium-ion battery companies in the European energy storage market may continue to heat up.
Despite the advantages of sodium-ion batteries, relevant foreign media cited industry insiders as saying that most European developers, asset owners, and operators believe that sodium-ion battery energy storage does not yet meet the standards for large-scale deployment. However, relevant European system integrators are not waiting and watching; instead, they have chosen to cooperate with CATL, bringing the products to market as turnkey solutions to secure a first-mover advantage when the timing is right.
Appendix: "Energy Storage Orders/Cooperations Announced by CATL Since 2026"
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