China-based CBAK Energy Technology has signed an investment agreement with the Nanjing Gaochun Economic Development Zone for a planned 12 gigawatt-hour annual battery-cell project focused on large cylindrical sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries.
The Nasdaq-listed company said the project would cover cell manufacturing as well as module and battery-pack integration in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Development is planned in phases and remains subject to financing, customer demand and project readiness.
Project could add 12 GWh of capacity
CBAK plans to advance the 12 GWh project in the second half of 2027, subject to securing financing. The proposed production lines would be designed to make either sodium-ion or lithium-ion cells, allowing the company to select the chemistry according to market conditions and customer demand.
The company estimated that the project could generate RMB4.8 billion to RMB5.0 billion, about $712 million to $741 million, in annual revenue if it operates at full capacity and sells all output. CBAK explicitly described those figures as estimates based on current lithium-ion cell market prices rather than contracted sales or financial guidance.
Customer testing of CBAK’s sodium-ion samples is underway for residential and portable energy storage and electric-mobility applications, according to the company. Other evaluations cover specialty vehicles, start-stop systems and backup power.
Existing Nanjing plant also set to expand
Separately, CBAK plans to add another 6 GWh of annual cell capacity at its existing Nanjing facility by the end of 2026. The plant currently has 4.5 GWh of annual Model 32140 cell capacity, and the planned addition would raise the total to 10.5 GWh.
The company is considering two production lines for its Model 60150 large cylindrical cells, although it may install one Model 32140 line and one Model 60150 line depending on demand. At full capacity with all incremental output sold, CBAK estimates the 6 GWh expansion could generate RMB2.4 billion to RMB2.7 billion, or about $356 million to $400 million, in annual revenue.
CBAK has been expanding the Nanjing site for several years. Earlier TNGlobal coverage detailed equipment procurement for a 3 GWh Phase II expansion involving large cylindrical lithium-ion cells.
Sodium-ion manufacturing moves toward larger scale
Sodium-ion batteries are drawing investment as manufacturers look beyond conventional lithium-ion chemistries for energy storage and mobility. The technology uses more abundant sodium-based materials, although commercial performance and economics vary by chemistry and application.
Chinese battery companies have been moving sodium-ion products toward commercial-scale deployments. In June, CATL unveiled a sodium-ion energy storage system and said global deliveries were planned from June 2027. CBAK’s proposed Nanjing project adds another potential source of large-scale capacity, although its timing remains dependent on financing and customer qualification.
The flexibility to manufacture either sodium-ion or lithium-ion cells also limits how much of the proposed 12 GWh should be treated as committed sodium-ion capacity. CBAK said the final production mix will depend on market conditions, while the development itself will proceed in phases.