Inbizzy, In the race to power the future, lithium-ion batteries have long dominated the field. But as global demand for energy storage grows – and the price and availability of lithium fluctuate – a new contender is quietly gaining ground: the sodium-ion battery.
Chinese battery giant CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), the world’s largest producer of lithium-ion batteries, is now leading efforts to commercialize sodium-ion technology. Unlike lithium, sodium is cheap, abundant, and widely available – found not in mines, but in ordinary salt.
The appeal of sodium-ion batteries lies not just in cost, but in performance. CATL claims that their next-generation sodium-ion batteries can operate reliably in extreme temperatures, making them particularly well-suited for stationary energy storage applications, such as grid-level storage and renewable energy integration in remote areas.
“Sodium is the most promising alternative to lithium in the mid-term,” says a senior researcher at CATL who asked not to be named. “It’s not about replacing lithium entirely, but complementing it where it makes sense – especially where cost and thermal stability matter most.”
Still, the technology has a long road ahead. As of 2025, sodium-ion batteries hold less than 1% of the global battery market, and projections vary widely. According to industry analysts, sodium-ion could account for anywhere between 3% and 15% of the market by 2035, depending on breakthroughs in energy density, cycle life, and – perhaps most critically – the future price of lithium.
One of the main technical challenges is improving the energy density of sodium-ion batteries, which currently lags behind their lithium counterparts. While sufficient for stationary uses, it remains a limiting factor for mobile applications like electric vehicles.
Despite these hurdles, CATL is optimistic. In 2023, the company unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion battery and announced plans to integrate the technology into commercial production lines. With strategic government backing and growing interest from grid operators and renewable energy firms, sodium’s future looks brighter – or at least saltier – than ever.
As the energy landscape continues to shift, CATL’s investment in sodium-ion could prove prescient. If lithium prices soar or geopolitical tensions restrict supply, sodium – once just table salt – might just become the element that powers the world.
