CATL Officially Launches TENER Sodium-Ion Energy Storage System with Over 30 MWh Capacity
According to international media reports on June 22, CATL has officially unveiled its TENER Sodium-Ion Energy Storage System, designed to address key industry challenges in operational flexibility, system stability, and long-term cost efficiency.
CATL's TENER Stack Energy Storage System
The TENER system features a fully modular architecture with a rated capacity exceeding 30 MWh. Each module weighs less than 42 tonnes, and a 1 GWh energy storage site can be built using just 34 modules, offering a highly scalable solution for utility-scale applications.
Screenshot from the Press Conference Livestream
The new system incorporates five major technological advancements:
Extended Service Life
The system delivers up to 15,000 charge-discharge cycles at 25°C, based on a 70% State of Health (SOH) standard, providing an expected operational lifespan of 25–30 years.
Wide Temperature Adaptability
Equipped with adaptive thermal management technology, the system retains over 92% of its capacity at -20°C and supports more than 10,000 cycles at 45°C, making it suitable for deployment in both extremely cold and high-temperature environments.
Intrinsic Safety
Compared with conventional lithium-ion systems, the sodium-ion cells reduce cell expansion by 40%, while surface temperatures during thermal runaway are limited to approximately 200°C, around 60% lower than lithium-ion batteries. Gas generation is reduced by 35%, and the critical overcharge State of Charge (SOC) threshold is increased by 140%. Even under thermal runaway conditions, the system is designed to prevent both fire and explosion.
Higher Energy Efficiency
Through an optimized top-ventilation design and high-efficiency liquid cooling, the system's auxiliary power consumption has been reduced from the industry average of 2% to just 1%.
Community-Friendly Operation
Operating noise has been reduced to 65 dB, approximately 10 dB lower than conventional energy storage systems, making the solution well suited for installations near load centers and urban environments.
CATL has also developed a proprietary bidirectional voltage-control Power Conversion System (PCS) that accommodates the sodium-ion battery voltage range of 1.5–3.65 V while maintaining a stable 690 V output. This improves the system's round-trip efficiency (RTE) by nearly 2%.
In addition, the system features millisecond-level self-recovery capability, enabling it to isolate faults and restore power to unaffected sections within 350 milliseconds, significantly reducing the risk of operational downtime.
To support commercialization, CATL has established a complete sodium-ion battery supply chain with mass production capabilities for both cathode and anode materials. The company is expanding production capacity by 40 GWh at its Fuding manufacturing base and plans to add another 160 GWh in Jining.
The TENER Sodium-Ion Energy Storage System is fully compatible with existing lithium-ion energy storage platforms, enabling seamless integration without requiring system redesign.
Domestic deliveries in China are scheduled to begin in September 2026, with a shipment target of 1 GWh by the end of the year. Global market rollout is planned for 2027.