The largest battery manufacturer in the world is making a substantial push to deploy sodium-ion storage technology across European infrastructure. CATL and Dutch grid-scale energy storage specialist Alfen have announced an agreement to bring 5 GWh of CATL’s Tener Sodium battery systems to the continent, with the first installations expected to begin in 2027.
A partnership built on an existing foundation
The two companies are not entering unfamiliar territory. Alfen and CATL established a long-term battery supply relationship in 2023 and have since collaborated on multiple lithium-ion storage projects. The new agreement expands that partnership into sodium-based chemistry, marking a significant milestone for Alfen, which has deployed more than 1 GWh of storage throughout Europe. Operating as an electricity infrastructure firm with a 90-year legacy, Alfen has been building energy storage systems since 2011.
Alfen sees a clear commercial case for adopting sodium-ion technology. Sodium is roughly 1,000 times more abundant than lithium, a characteristic that can shield buyers from the price volatility that has periodically disrupted the storage industry. By integrating sodium chemistries, Alfen can further diversify its battery material portfolio and sharpen its competitiveness in medium-to-large-scale project tenders across Europe.
Validating technology in real-world conditions
For CATL, the collaboration offers a pathway to real-world European grid deployment for its Tener Sodium platform, originally unveiled in Munich on June 22. The system carries a rating of 15,000 cycles, translating into an expected service life of 25 to 30 years. It also maintains more than 92 percent of its capacity at -20°C without relying on active cooling hardware. By comparison, most lithium iron phosphate systems are warranted for a few thousand up to roughly 10,000 cycles, underscoring the potential longevity advantage of the sodium-ion alternative.
A broader push into sodium-based storage
The Alfen agreement arrives shortly after CATL signed a separate 60 GWh sodium supply deal with integrator HyperStrong in April, the largest single sodium order ever recorded. Together, these commitments signal a widening industrial appetite for sodium-based storage hardware, at a time when developers are seeking stable supply chains and chemistries suited to demanding environmental conditions and long-duration applications.
Source: alfen.com