Sodium-ion batteries are no longer a question of “whether to adopt them”, but of “whether the system can keep up”.

In 2026, global sodium-ion battery shipments are projected to exceed 25 GWh — approximately 3.6 GWh in 2024 and 9 GWh in 2025, representing around a 7-fold increase over three years. Energy storage accounts for 62.2% of this volume, with primary demand coming from utility-scale and commercial & industrial energy storage.Sodium-ion batteries have been included in bidding documents. The real challenge has shifted: after replacing lithium cells with sodium-ion ones, can the supporting system keep pace?

When comparing polyanionic sodium-ion batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries, nearly all differences fall on the key assessment items for power station economic analysis.

Temperature, cycle life and cost are precisely the three most critical metrics for energy storage power stations. The current collector deserves special attention: lithium-ion batteries require copper foil for the negative electrode (lithium undergoes alloying reaction with aluminum at low potential). Sodium does not have this limitation, so aluminum foil can be adopted for both positive and negative electrodes of sodium-ion batteries. This not only cuts costs, but also enables sodium-ion batteries to withstand 0V state without damage, bringing greater convenience for transportation and storage.

When a sodium-ion battery cluster is connected to the original lithium-ion PCS, the hardware may match and the system can power up and run. However, three bottlenecks will emerge one after another — none of which stem from hardware faults:

• Protection parameters are set based on the LFP curve, which cannot accommodate the wider discharge window of sodium-ion batteries. The system cuts off prematurely at the end of discharge, resulting in reduced usable capacity;

• The inherited low-temperature strategy of "power limiting / charging prohibited below 0℃" wastes the low-temperature resistance of sodium-ion batteries, leaving no revenue edge for projects in frigid regions;

• Sodium-ion BMS differs from lithium-ion BMS in voltage protection thresholds, SOC algorithms and alarm code bits. Protocol mismatches lead to misjudgment and extend the commissioning cycle.

The full product lineup ranges from 125kW to 2.5MW, including string-type 125kW / 265kW series and centralized 1.25MW / 2.5MW models. All products share one unified control platform with native compatibility for both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.

• Ultra-wide DC voltage range: 600V–1500V on the DC side, with the constant power zone covering the full voltage range of sodium-ion batteries. It matches the wider voltage window of sodium-ion cells, avoids premature shutdown at the end of discharge, and maximizes SOC utilization.

• Wide-temperature operation: Operating temperature from -40℃ to +60℃; charging and discharging available at -30℃ with configurable low-temperature strategies. It leverages the low-temperature resistance of sodium-ion batteries and converts cell performance into tangible project returns.

• High-rate charge & discharge capability: The current loop and overload capacity are engineered for high-rate sodium-ion applications. Matches the 0.5–2C rate characteristics of sodium-ion batteries without performance degradation for frequency regulation and fast charging scenarios.

• Dual lithium & sodium compatibility + switchable BMS protocols: Protocol and protection setting templates can be switched via software without hardware modification. Accommodates the differences in sodium-ion BMS and keeps the on-site commissioning cycle under control.

• Reusable lithium-ion integration design: Sodium-ion and lithium-ion cells share identical form factors with different capacities. PACK structural parts, container dimensions and PCS mounting interfaces all adopt the existing lithium-ion solutions.

• Item 5 may deliver the greatest engineering value. Starting from the cell level, dimensions, interfaces, production procedures and drawings are inherited from the existing lithium-ion system, with changes limited only to the cell itself. Integrators do not need to allocate extra engineering resources exclusively for sodium-ion projects. One set of drawings can generate both lithium-ion and sodium-ion solutions, enabling the submission of dual lithium & sodium proposals in a single bid.In short: Replace cells without replacing the system; adjust strategies without revising drawings.