CATL, the Chinese battery giant best known for powering electric vehicles, has turned its attention to the grid. At All Energy Australia 2026 in Melbourne, the company unveiled the Tener+ storage system, a 9-MWh unit designed to cut the number of containers needed for large-scale projects by up to 40%. The launch also marked the Australian debut of the Tener Sodium system, which uses sodium-ion technology to offer a heat-resistant alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. These releases signal CATL’s move beyond automotive dominance into grid-scale energy storage.
From EV Batteries to Grid Storage
CATL’s roots lie in electric vehicle batteries. Founded in 2011 in Ningde, Fujian province, the company leveraged China’s position in the battery supply chain to become the world’s largest EV and energy storage battery manufacturer, holding a global market share of around 37% as of 2022 and 2023. For years, the company’s focus remained firmly on the auto sector, supplying power cells to major automakers and expanding factories internationally. The introduction of the Tener+ and Tener Sodium systems represents a strategic pivot. By applying its cell technology to stationary storage, CATL is tapping a different market—one where longevity, temperature tolerance, and spatial efficiency are the primary drivers.
Compact Design and Sodium-Ion Chemistry
The Tener+ system carries a capacity of 9 MWh and features a top-exhaust design that directs heat upward, helping power conversion systems maintain full output even in high ambient temperatures. Compared with conventional solutions, the system can reduce container requirements by up to 40% and shrink project footprints by 12%. These efficiencies are intended to lower the logistical and land-use barriers that often slow grid-scale deployments. CATL says the system is built for a 25-year design life and uses proprietary cell technology to slow degradation. Customers can select cell configurations optimized for local climate conditions, including options that offer three years of zero degradation.
Alongside Tener+, CATL showcased the Tener Sodium system, its first sodium-ion battery energy storage system displayed in Australia. Sodium-ion chemistry offers a practical alternative to lithium-ion, particularly for projects in hotter climates. The Tener Sodium system uses a modular cabinet architecture and can deliver more than 30 MWh of system-level storage capacity. CATL states the technology can operate at ambient temperatures of up to 55°C (131°F) and achieve a cycle life of over 10,000 cycles at 45°C. This heat resistance makes it a viable option for regions where cooling requirements would add significant cost to a lithium-ion setup.
Partnerships and Global Reach
To accelerate its presence in Australia, CATL signed cooperation memorandums with Hitachi Energy, EPEC Group, and UNSW Sydney. The partnership with Hitachi Energy will combine CATL’s DC-side battery products with Hitachi Energy’s power conversion systems, creating an integrated offering for grid projects. In a separate announcement, CATL revealed a deal with Germany’s Intilion to deploy 3 GWh of sodium-ion energy storage systems in Europe over the next five years. These partnerships highlight CATL’s effort to build local and regional alliances as it expands beyond its home market.
The Practical Upshot
CATL’s expansion into energy storage brings a new set of tools to the grid-scale market. The Tener+ system’s container reduction and the Tener Sodium system’s temperature tolerance address two of the biggest practical challenges in deploying large batteries: space and operating costs. With its existing manufacturing scale and new partnerships, CATL is positioning itself as a major player not just in vehicles, but in the infrastructure that will store renewable energy for the grid. For developers and utilities, the availability of a compact, heat-tolerant storage option could mean faster project timelines and lower overhead. According to the company’s market position, CATL already commands a significant share of the global battery market; its move into storage systems suggests that share may grow into a new sector. Here’s what it means: the next generation of grid storage may look less like a field of containers and more like a modular, chemistry-flexible network—and CATL is helping build it.
Evolution of the Tener Product Line
The Tener+ system represents the latest progression in CATL’s energy storage portfolio, which has expanded rapidly over the past few years. The company first introduced the 6.25-MWh Tener system in April 2024. This was followed in May 2025 by the release of the 9-MWh Tener Stack, which preceded the current Tener+ iteration. Each successive model has focused on increasing storage capacity per container to address the logistical and land-use constraints inherent in large-scale grid projects.
Beyond capacity, the Tener+ system incorporates advanced operational features designed to streamline deployment. The unit utilizes an intelligent thermal management system intended to improve round-trip efficiency while simultaneously reducing auxiliary power consumption. Furthermore, CATL has implemented a commissioning process that allows multiple Tener+ systems to be activated simultaneously with a single click, a design choice aimed at simplifying the setup phase for grid-scale installations.
Performance Metrics and Efficiency Gains
The Tener+ system delivers a nominal capacity of 9 MWh, positioning it as a high-density solution for utility-scale deployment. According to CATL, the modular design allows for a reduction of up to 40% in the number of containers required compared to conventional battery storage solutions, while simultaneously shrinking the overall project footprint by 12%. These reductions are achieved through a top-exhaust thermal management design that vents heat upward, thereby protecting power conversion systems and enabling them to maintain full rated output even in ambient temperatures reaching 55°C. Furthermore, the system incorporates an intelligent thermal management loop that improves round-trip efficiency and lowers auxiliary power consumption, contributing to lower operational expenditures over the unit’s 25-year design life.
Complementing the Tener+ platform, the Tener Sodium system utilizes sodium-ion chemistry to provide a heat-resistant alternative to traditional lithium-ion architectures. CATL states that this technology can achieve a cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles at an operating temperature of 45°C, and is capable of withstanding ambient conditions up to 55°C (131°F) without performance penalty. The modular cabinet architecture supports system-level storage capacities surpassing 30 MWh. By eliminating many of the cooling requirements necessary for lithium-ion systems in hot climates, the Tener Sodium system offers a cost-effective pathway for grid storage in regions with extreme summer temperatures, aligning with CATL’s strategy to diversify chemistry options for global markets.
Sources
- CATL
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- CATL unveils 9-MWh Tener+ storage system, deepens Australian presence
Photo: Matti Blume (CC BY-SA 4.0)
