Starting in 2027, Chinese battery manufacturer CATL and Dutch energy infrastructure company Alfen plan to deploy sodium-ion battery energy storage systems with a total capacity of 5 GWh in the Netherlands and other Western European countries. According to the companies, these will be the first installations of the “Tener Sodium” energy storage system in the European market.
In late June, CATL introduced the storage system, describing it as a field-validated sodium-ion solution for stationary energy storage. Initial deliveries in China are scheduled to begin in September. CATL expects total shipments to reach 1 GWh by the end of 2026, with global commercial deliveries planned to begin in June 2027.
Validation in the European Power Grid
CATL claims that the system is designed for a 25-year service life and delivers nearly 2% higher round-trip efficiency than current technology. Each system has a storage capacity of more than 30 MWh and can be configured for storage durations ranging from one to eight hours, depending on project requirements.
CATL also states that the system is compatible with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. This enables Alfen to utilize various battery chemistries and mitigate its vulnerability to fluctuations in lithium prices. CATL intends to leverage the partnership to gain experience with sodium-ion batteries in European power grids and adapt the technology to European grid requirements.
Sources:
https://alfen.com/en-de/news/alfen-and-catl-reach-5-gwh-sodium-ion-battery-storage-partnership-in-europe
https://cnevpost.com/2026/07/16/catl-sodium-battery-storage-europe-alfen-deal/
