Chinese battery integrator HyperStrong has signed a deal with CATL for 60 GWh of sodium-ion battery cells to be supplied over three years. This represents the biggest deal seen yet for the emerging battery technology. pv magazine caught up with HyperStrong Chairman and CEO Jianhui Zhang to discuss the company’s plans for implementation of sodium-ion battery systems.

HyperStrong recently entered into one of the first supply agreements for sodium-ion batteries at gigawatt-scale – what can you tell us about this deal?

This agreement with CATL covering 60 GWh of sodium-ion batteries over the next three years is an important milestone for both companies and for the wider energy storage industry. It reflects a clear signal that sodium-ion technology is moving beyond early-stage validation and into the early phase of large-scale commercial deployment.

At HyperStrong, we see this not as a shift from lithium to sodium, but as a step toward a more diversified storage technology landscape. The future of energy storage will not be defined by a single chemistry, but by multiple technologies optimized for different applications and lifecycle requirements. Our engagement with sodium-ion technology also builds on several years of technical preparation, which allows us to accelerate its system-level application in real projects.

What type of systems are you building with these batteries? Do they require a different design approach to lithium?

We are focusing sodium-ion applications on use cases where safety, long-duration operation, and high cycling performance are critical. These include utility-scale storage, long-duration energy shifting, data centers, and emerging high-load digital energy infrastructure.

From a system perspective, sodium-ion does not require completely new architecture. It can be integrated into existing storage platforms, but it does require targeted optimization at the system level to reflect its electrochemical characteristics. What matters more is not redesigning everything from scratch, but evolving existing platforms to support multiple battery chemistries in a unified system architecture.

How do you expect them to compare initially with lithium products on cost, performance, and lifetime?

At this early stage, lithium-based technologies – particularly LFP – still hold advantages in cost and supply chain maturity. However, sodium-ion already shows strong potential in areas that matter more over a system’s full lifecycle: safety, temperature adaptability, and long-cycle operation.

The key shift we are seeing in the industry is that storage procurement decisions are moving beyond upfront cost optimization toward lifecycle value optimization. For long-duration assets, total cost of ownership, operational stability, and asset lifetime are becoming more important than initial investment alone. This is where sodium-ion is expected to build its long-term value proposition as the technology matures.

Longer term, how do you expect the market to split between sodium- and lithium-based storage systems?

We do not see this as a competition where one technology replaces another. Lithium-ion systems will continue to dominate many mainstream applications due to their maturity and cost efficiency. Sodium-ion, on the other hand, will gradually find its position in applications where safety, long service life, and high cycling intensity are key requirements. Over time, the market will likely segment more clearly by application rather than by a single dominant chemistry.

What challenges remain for sodium batteries, and which areas will you focus on improving as part of HyperStrong’s partnership with CATL?

Sodium-ion technology is still in the early phase of industrial scaling. The key challenges today are related to large-scale manufacturing consistency, long-term operational validation, and further cost optimization as production volumes increase.

For energy storage, the most important question is always bankability – long-term reliability, predictable performance, and proven real-world data. Our cooperation with CATL focuses on accelerating this process through system integration, engineering validation, and early deployment experience. The goal is to move from technology readiness to full commercial confidence.

Are there any other battery chemistries or storage technologies on your roadmap for the next few years?

We are not limiting ourselves to a single technological pathway. Beyond sodium-ion, we are actively developing system-level capabilities in grid-forming storage, high-voltage cascade architecture, advanced power conversion system, and AI-driven energy management and trading optimization.

The future of energy storage is not only about the battery itself, but about the integration of hardware, software, and different technologies into a unified energy system.

Where are the key markets for HyperStrong in 2026?

In 2026, our focus remains global. Europe, North America, and Asia are the key strategic markets for us. Each of these regions is at a different stage of energy transition, but all share a common direction: increasing reliance on large-scale storage to ensure grid stability.

We are continuing to strengthen local delivery capabilities, engineering support, and long-term service structures in each region, because storage is fundamentally a long-cycle infrastructure business.

Last year, China introduced a major shift in the way energy markets and energy storage systems are operated. How has this affected your business?

China’s energy market reform is fundamentally changing how storage is valued and operated. The industry is moving from policy-driven deployment to market-driven operation, where real system performance determines economic returns.

This shift is increasing the importance of operational capability – grid responsiveness, dispatch performance, and lifecycle optimization. For companies like HyperStrong, this transition is positive, because it rewards those who can deliver not only systems, but also long-term operational value.

How do you see markets in Europe developing? Do you see more growth in the large scale or commercial battery segment?

Europe is entering a strong growth phase for energy storage across both utility-scale and commercial segments. At grid scale, we see accelerating demand driven by renewable integration and evolving market mechanisms, particularly in countries like Germany.

At the same time, commercial and industrial storage is expanding rapidly in high electricity price environments, where energy cost optimization and supply stability are becoming critical. We believe both segments will grow in parallel, but large-scale storage will remain the backbone of grid flexibility, while C&I storage will increasingly serve distributed energy optimization needs.

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