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(File photo shows a CATL sodium-ion battery. Image credit: CnEVPost)<\/p>\nLG Energy Solution plans to complete construction of the pilot production line within the year and begin sample production.
\nThe battery maker will validate the feasibility of mass-producing sodium batteries.<\/p>\n
(File photo shows a CATL sodium-ion battery. Image credit: CnEVPost)<\/p>\n
South Korea’s LG Energy Solution is advancing the construction of a pilot production line for sodium-ion batteries at its Nanjing, Jiangsu factory in China to validate mass production feasibility, according to an ETNews report<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n LG Energy Solution will conduct R&D for next-generation batteries at its Daejeon Technology Research Institute, then produce a prototype, Sample A, at its key mother plant in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, the report said.<\/p>\n Subsequently, the company will produce Sample B (a finished product) and Sample C (a mass-production-ready product) at its Nanjing facility, the South Korean media outlet reported.<\/p>\n Given China’s leading position in the sodium-ion battery market, LG Energy Solution is believed to be pursuing localized production in China due to its robust supply chain, including cathode materials, the report said.<\/p>\n The South Korean battery maker plans to complete the pilot production line construction and commence sample production within the year, which is expected to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation batteries, ETNews said.<\/p>\n “We are reviewing various options for building a sodium-ion battery pilot line,” an LG Energy Solution representative stated, adding, “Nothing has been finalized yet.”<\/p>\n Sodium batteries began gaining significant attention in China following CATL’s (HKEX: 3750, SHE: 300750) announcement of its first-generation sodium-ion battery on July 29, 2021.<\/p>\n At the time, lithium prices surged in China due to soaring electric vehicle (EV) demand, positioning sodium batteries as a potential alternative to lithium batteries.<\/p>\n However, as lithium prices subsequently plummeted, sodium batteries began to fade from the spotlight.<\/p>\n Last month, CATL said at a supplier conference that sodium batteries would see large-scale adoption<\/a> in battery swap, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage by 2026.<\/p>\n This reignited widespread discussion about the battery technology following months of significant increases in lithium carbonate prices.<\/p>\n In April 2025, CATL unveiled its sodium-ion battery brand<\/a>, Naxtra, at its Tech Day event, initiating exploration of lithium battery replacements under this new brand.<\/p>\n CATL said that Naxtra passenger vehicle batteries achieve an energy density of up to 175 Wh\/kg \u2014 the highest among global sodium-ion batteries \u2014 comparable to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.<\/p>\n Beyond CATL, Chinese startups including Zoolnasm<\/a> and Hina Battery<\/a> are also developing and deploying sodium battery production capacity.<\/p>\n LG Energy Solution, one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers, achieved a power battery installation volume of 96.9 GWh from January to November 2025, marking an 11.1% year-on-year increase, according to data from South Korean market research firm SNE Research.<\/p>\n
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