CATL PUSHES SODIUM-ION BATTERIES FOR AI ENERGY DEMAND

CATL Chief Manufacturing Officer Ni Jun outlined the battery maker's strategy at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, signaling a shift toward sodium-ion technology as demand for AI-related energy storage intensifies. Sodium-ion batteries offer lower costs and faster production compared to lithium alternatives, making them attractive for large-scale energy storage applications. The technology aligns with growing power requirements from data centers and AI computing facilities. Beyond battery production, Jun highlighted CATL's interest in leveraging idle computing capacity from electric vehicles. The approach could unlock additional revenue streams by tapping into distributed processing power across EV networks. The deployment timeline reflects CATL's confidence in meeting near-term demand surges. As AI adoption accelerates globally, energy storage and power infrastructure remain critical bottlenecks—areas where CATL positions itself as a key supplier.