CATL to start operating sodium-ion battery production line next year

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CATL will put a sodium-ion battery production line into operation next year, Meng Xiangfeng, assistant to chairman of CATL, recently revealed at an industrial conference themed carbon neutrality.

Mr. Meng said CATL had solved many technical problems, including the limitations on the raw material production of sodium-ion batteries. The main problems left are to increase production capacity and build a raw material supply chain.

The Ningde-based company, which supplies power batteries to automakers like Tesla, Volkswagen Group, and Geely, launched its first-generation sodium-ion battery on July 29.

CATL's first-generation sodium-ion battery; photo credit: CATL

According to CATL, the cell of the sodium-ion battery features an energy density of 160Wh/kg, currently the highest in the world for this kind of batteries. At room temperature, the battery can be charged to 80% of its capacity within 15 minutes. Moreover, in a low-temperature environment of -20°C, the battery still has a capacity retention rate of more than 90%.

At the launching event, CATL also released the AB battery system solution, which is able to mix and match sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries in a certain proportion and integrate them into one battery system, and control the different battery systems through the BMS precision algorithm.

CATL expects the energy density of its next-generation sodium-ion battery to exceed 200Wh/kg, and wishes to see an industrial chain of sodium-ion battery basically take shape in 2023.