CATL Partners with Ronbay to Scale Up Sodium-Ion Battery Production

Leading battery manufacturer CATL has secured another strategic partnership with an upstream materials supplier, accelerating the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries.

On November 16, Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology (Ronbay) announced it has become CATL’s primary supplier of cathode powder for sodium-ion batteries. CATL has committed to purchasing no less than 60% of its total cathode powder demand from Ronbay annually.

Ronbay stated that this collaboration signals the imminent large-scale adoption of sodium-ion battery materials and batteries. As a global leader in lithium-ion batteries, CATL’s endorsement carries significant industry influence.

Earlier this year, CATL launched its sodium-ion battery brand, Natrium, with products becoming the first globally to meet China’s new national standards. The company projects sodium-ion batteries could address over 40% of China’s passenger EV market, highlighting vast potential.

As of November 14, CATL’s A-share price closed at 404.12 yuan, down 2.76%, with a market cap of 1.86 trillion yuan.

**Strategic Partnership Details** The agreement, valid until December 31, 2029, covers comprehensive collaboration in market strategy, R&D, supply chain, and product development. Both parties will establish high-level exchanges to align business goals.

Ronbay, as the designated primary supplier, will tailor production and development plans to CATL’s targets, ensuring competitive advantages in speed, quality, and cost. The partnership aims to boost market share in power, energy storage, and consumer electronics sectors.

CATL guarantees annual procurement of at least 60% of its cathode powder from Ronbay, with potential volume-based discounts if purchases exceed 500,000 tons. Ronbay will prioritize CATL’s raw material and capacity needs.

Ronbay expects the deal to positively impact future earnings, though its Q1-Q3 2025 revenue fell 20.64% YoY to 8.986 billion yuan, with a net loss of 204 million yuan.

Ronbay’s shares closed at 29.50 yuan on November 14, down 1.86%, valuing the company at 21.08 billion yuan.

**Sodium-Ion Battery Momentum** The agreement underscores Ronbay’s ambition to be a full-solution provider for sodium-ion cathode materials. Since CATL’s April 2025 unveiling of Natrium, sodium-ion batteries have gained traction as a scalable alternative.