- CATL inks 2GWh deal with Solarpro to deploy Europe’s first large-scale sodium-ion storage project in 2026.
- Tener sodium-ion systems promise 15,000 cycles, ~25–30 year lifespan, and 92% capacity at −20°C.
- Deal expands CATL’s European push after lithium deployments and follows broader Chinese battery export surge.
CATL announced on Tuesday that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Eastern European renewable energy company Solarpro for a 2GWh Tener sodium-ion battery energy storage system project.
Under the agreement, the two companies plan to jointly develop Central and Eastern Europe’s first large-scale sodium-ion battery energy storage project in 2026.
The partnership marks the beginning of CATL’s sodium-ion energy storage technology entering large-scale commercial deployment in Europe.
Compared with conventional lithium-ion energy storage systems, sodium-ion batteries offer advantages in resource availability, cost efficiency and low-temperature performance, making them an important complementary technology route for future energy storage applications.
According to CATL, the Tener sodium-ion energy storage system can achieve a cycle life of up to 15,000 cycles, with a designed operating lifespan of approximately 25 to 30 years.
The system maintains strong performance under low-temperature conditions, with a capacity retention rate of 92% at -20°C, allowing it to operate in cold climates such as Lithuania and other Eastern European markets.
As a long-term strategic partner, CATL and Solarpro began their cooperation in 2024, when the two companies deployed a 150MWh EnerC+ liquid-cooled energy storage system in Bulgaria.
In May this year, the jointly developed 602MWh Tener lithium-ion energy storage system was connected to Bulgaria’s power grid, increasing the country’s total energy storage capacity by around 10%.
The newly signed sodium-ion storage agreement expands the partnership from mature lithium-ion technologies into next-generation battery solutions.
Prior to announcing the latest cooperation, CATL also signed a memorandum of understanding with European renewable energy integrator Alfen N.V.
They planed to deploy 5GWh of Tener sodium-ion energy storage systems in the Netherlands and other Western European markets from 2027.
Europe’s energy transition is driving demand for large-scale energy storage.
As renewable energy sources such as wind and solar account for a growing share of electricity generation, power grids require storage solutions with longer duration and higher reliability, creating new overseas growth opportunities for Chinese battery manufacturers.
Beyond CATL, BYD Energy Storage has also recently secured multiple overseas projects.
In July, BYD Energy Storage signed energy storage cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Poland totaling 13.675GWh.
The projects will use BYD’s latest Haohan energy storage system, which is equipped with energy storage-specific Blade Batteries featuring a capacity of 2,710Ah.
BYD’s energy storage products have now been deployed across more than 110 countries and regions worldwide.
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