Hithium Energy unveils next-gen sodium-ion tech

Hithium Energy Storage, one of the world's leading power storage system manufacturers, unveiled its next-generation dedicated sodiumion integrated solution on Wednesday, marking a pivotal step in transitioning sodium technology from technical validation into large-scale, infrastructure-grade deployment.

The newly introduced technology is powered by high-capacity sodium-ion batteries. Slated for full-chain mass production and commercial delivery by 2027, the system boasts a design service life span of 30 years — matching the life cycle of conventional electrical grid assets and providing a new solution for large-scale energy storage.

Having already ranked among the top two globally in storage battery shipments in the first half, Hithium is now extending its vertically integrated manufacturing and engineering expertise from lithium to sodium. The company aims to build a complete production capability base, from underlying materials to terminal station applications.

Yi Ziqi, chief technology officer of Hithium, said widespread commercial adoption of storage technologies hinges on economic affordability and resource accessibility.

"Abundant and geographically distributed sodium reserves provide fresh opportunities to bolster resource security and supply-chain stability," Yi said, adding that the company targets cost parity with lithium batteries benchmarked against a lithium carbonate price of 150,000 yuan ($22,365) per metric ton.

Wang Shiwen, head of the Hithium Battery Research Institute, emphasized the company's commitment to foundational innovation.

"Starting from the fundamental chemical inputs, we are re-walking the path the lithium battery industry took in more than 30 years," Wang said.

He added that the 30-year service life shifts the entire financial paradigm.

"For the first time, electrochemical storage can be viewed through the lens of true infrastructure, calculated with infrastructure costing logic, and held to infrastructure service standards."

Beyond large-scale power storage, Hithium plans to extend its new sodium-ion solutions to commercial, industrial and residential scenarios, continuously building an all-scenario energy ecosystem.

This aligns with China's rapid expansion of novel energy storage. According to the China New Energy Storage Development Report (2026) released by the National Energy Administration, China's cumulative installed capacity of new energy storage reached 136 gigawatts by end-2025. This represents an 84 percent year-on-year surge and a 40-fold expansion compared to 2020.

In 2025, the capacity broke the 100 GW milestone for the first time, more than doubling traditional pumped-hydro storage. Crucially, these facilities absorbed over 30 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity throughout the year, raising China's national renewable utilization rate by roughly 2 percentage points.

Operational quality has advanced in lockstep with volume. Annual equivalent utilization hours for storage nationwide rose to 1,195 hours in 2025, up from 911 hours in 2024.

During peak summer electricity loads in July 2025, centralized facilities in industrial hubs such as the provinces of Jiangsu and Shandong discharged at peak outputs of 7.14 GW and 8.04 GW, respectively, achieving simultaneous dispatch rates exceeding 95 percent.

Xu Jilin, deputy director-general of the NEA's energy conservation and technology equipment department, stated the sector has decisively transitioned from early commercial demonstration to large-scale deployment.

Industry leaders concur that multi-technology storage will anchor future power networks.

Zhu Gongshan, chairman of GCL Group — China's largest private power conglomerate — said energy storage, paired with microgrids and vehicle-to-grid networks, has become the fundamental lifeline for grid resilience, providing dependable backup power and flexibility to accommodate intermittent renewables.