EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A 2 GWh sodium-ion battery storage partnership will bring CATL's TENER Sodium technology to Central and Eastern Europe. The project is expected to become the region's first large-scale sodium-ion BESS deployment, supporting grid flexibility and renewable energy integration in challenging winter conditions.
Companies: CATL & Solarpro
Agreement: 2 GWh sodium-ion BESS
Technology: TENER Sodium
Region: Central & Eastern Europe
Deployment: First large-scale sodium-ion BESS
Timeline: 2026
Performance: 15,000 cycles; 92% capacity at -20°C
CATL, a China-based battery manufacturer and energy storage technology supplier, and Solarpro, a European renewable energy engineering and project development company, have signed a 2 GWh TENER Sodium cooperation agreement. The companies plan to jointly deploy what they describe as the first large-scale sodium-ion battery storage project in Central and Eastern Europe in 2026.
The agreement covers CATL’s TENER Sodium technology, which has a stated cycle life of 15,000 cycles, equivalent to approximately 25 to 30 years of operational life. According to CATL, the system retains 92% of its capacity at -20°C. This performance is relevant for applications in Eastern Europe, where winter temperatures can fall between -15°C and -20°C.
The agreement builds on previous battery storage projects involving CATL and Solarpro. In 2024, the companies worked on a 150 MWh EnerC+ system. This was followed by a 601-MWh TENER project that was connected to the grid in May 2026. According to CATL, the project increased Bulgaria’s energy storage capacity by 10%.
The 2 GWh agreement extends the companies’ cooperation into sodium-ion battery technology and represents a planned large-scale application of the chemistry in Central and Eastern Europe.
CATL said it plans to continue developing energy storage projects in Europe and support the wider commercial deployment of sodium-ion battery energy storage technology.