Hebei's "lithium-sodium hybrid storage" sees batch deployment: sodium-ion battery energy storage enters provincial verification period [SMM Analysis]

SMM, September 23:

Sodium-ion battery energy storage projects have recently appeared intensively across the filing, tendering, bid-winning, and construction-start stages in Hebei, making the province one of the fastest in China in terms of sodium-ion battery deployment on the electricity ESS side. After reviewing the public lists of the Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) as well as EPC and equipment tender winning bid results, SMM believes that Hebei is no longer a "policy-statement-type" player, but has placed sodium-ion batteries into the project pipeline of standalone ESS, grid-connection deadlines, and bidding sections—sodium-ion batteries are moving from demonstration enclosures into the provincial power market, entering a phase of real-money validation.

I. How many sodium-ion battery projects are there in Hebei: three dimensions

Planning dimension. On October 13, 2025, the Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission issued the "Public Notice on Proposed Multi-Technology-Route Standalone ESS Pilot Projects," arranging a total of 97 projects, 13.82GW/47.03GWh, of which 53 projects, 6.65GW/22.34GWh, are in the southern Hebei grid, and 44 projects, 7.17GW/24.69GWh, are in northern Hebei. Among them, the "LFP + sodium-ion" hybrid route accounts for 45 projects, 6.2GW/20.66GWh, representing 44.82% of the total list capacity, making it the category with the largest number of projects and the largest scale among all technology routes. Sodium-ion batteries are not a supporting role brought along incidentally, but are bound with LFP as the main configuration.

Implementation dimension. In August 2026, Hebei carried out a cleanup and rectification of projects on the list in accordance with Document Ji Fa Gai Neng Yuan [2026] No. 418, publicly announcing the disposal of 85 projects, 11.66GW/37.71GWh, of which 69 were postponed and 16 were canceled. Among the postponed projects, lithium-sodium hybrid projects still numbered 26, 3.55GW/11.2GWh, and another 6 were "LFP 4-hour + supercapacitor/sodium-ion battery/flywheel" multi-technology hybrid projects. Compared with the first batch, lithium-sodium hybrid projects accounted for about 46% of the project count, and 26 remained after the cleanup, with a relatively low proportion directly canceled, indicating that this route holds up relatively well in owners' return calculations.

Installation dimension. As of the end of 2025, Hebei's new-type energy storage installations totaled about 9.6 million kW, ranking fourth in China, up about 90% YoY; however, in terms of structure, lithium batteries accounted for about 98.5%, while sodium-ion, vanadium redox flow, compressed air, and other routes combined accounted for only about 1.5%. The core feature is that the planning and reserve ends are already nationally leading, while the physical installation end has just started, and 2026–2027 is the critical window.

Lithium-sodium hybrid projects that have already landed or are under construction generally adopt a "90% LFP + 10% sodium-ion" ratio, with individual projects concentrated at 100MW/400MWh: Handan Qiuxian Ruite (CATL won the sodium-ion battery section, signed on August 14, 2026), Cangzhou Renqiu Zhihong, Cangzhou Botou Zhihe (led by Envision Energy, with Veken Technology as the exclusive sodium-ion battery supplier), Cangzhou Qingxian Zhichu, Hengshui Jizhou District (EPC tender launched on September 20, 2026, requiring completion by the end of December 2026 and grid connection by January 20, 2027), and Chengde Weichang County. In addition, the Handan Jinan New Area Qingjun 150MW/600MWh project (sodium-ion 15MW/60MWh, EPC awarded at 0.877 Yuan/Wh), the Zhangjiakou Chabei Management Zone 200MW/800MWh grid-forming project (LFP 170MW/680MWh + sodium-ion 30MW/120MWh), and the Qinhuangdao Haigang District 200MW/400MWh project (sodium-ion 20MW/40MWh) are also moving forward. Among Hebei province's key construction projects in 2026, energy storage projects reached 56, totaling 6.05GW/19.88GWh, ranking first nationwide in both number and scale.

II. Why is Hebei so aggressive in promoting sodium-ion batteries?

First, consumption and outbound transmission create a rigid gap. Hebei is a major province for wind and solar power installations. For example, Cangzhou has proposed that by the end of 2026, its wind and solar power installed capacity will exceed 11 million kW, while also undertaking the task of transmitting power across regions to Beijing and Tianjin, with peak shaving and frequency regulation demand continuing to expand. The suitability of sodium-ion batteries in the 1-8 hour long duration energy storage range precisely matches the shape of Hebei's gap.

Second, policy has written sodium-ion batteries into the rules. Hebei Development and Reform Energy [2025] No. 526 and No. 934 documents opened a separate application track for standalone ESS using diverse technology routes; the Implementation Plan for Promoting the Development of the Energy Electronics Industry in Hebei Province explicitly encourages the development of sodium-ion battery systems; after National Document No. 114 established the capacity value of new-type energy storage, Hebei made clear that "projects outside the list shall not be granted capacity electricity prices," creating a strong incentive of "only those on the list can earn returns"; Document No. 418 further requires substantive construction to begin within 9 months and grid connection within 15 months, with only one extension allowed and no more than 6 months. The policy both issues the entry ticket and uses deadlines to push projects from paper to the construction site.

Third, the severe cold and low temperatures of the north amplify the physical advantages. Sodium-ion batteries can still maintain a capacity retention rate above 90% at -20°C and can still discharge at full depth at -40°C, which can save part of the thermal management power consumption, effectively improving project yield.

Fourth, local industrial capital is crossing over to take on the task. Jingye Group (crossing over from its steel main business) has filed a 1GWh sodium-ion battery cell and energy storage integration production line; Guona Energy (Hengshui Gucheng) has planned 2.4GWh with a total investment of 1.2 billion yuan; Sanyou Chemical (Tangshan Nanpu) is laying out a 2GWh entire industry chain with an investment of approximately 489 million yuan, and upstream battery-grade sodium carbonate has already begun trial production; externally, capacity is supported by facilities such as the first phase of 2GWh at Veken Technology's Nanchang base. From battery-grade sodium carbonate to battery cells and system integration, Hebei has the conditions to build the upstream of sodium-ion batteries using its local chemical industry foundation.

Fifth, the Renqiu project completed a public price verification. In the Cangzhou Renqiu Zhihong project, the sodium-ion battery section was awarded to CATL at 1.035 Yuan/Wh, while in the same period, the LFP section was awarded to Envision Energy at only 0.518 Yuan/Wh. This marks the first time in China that sodium-ion batteries have competed publicly against LFP batteries in the same provincial-level pilot project with fully disclosed pricing. The price of 1.035 yuan/Wh has thus become the national price anchor for sodium-ion battery ESS—both quantifying the sodium-ion premium in real terms (approximately 2x) and forcing the industry chain to clarify its cost-reduction pathway.

III. Which other provinces are actively involved

Yunnan is the most aggressive. On July 2, 2026, the "2026 Yunnan Province New-Type Shared Energy Storage Project List" included 13 projects totaling 1.9GW/7.6GWh, of which 11 were all-vanadium flow batteries (1.5GW/6GWh) plus 2 sodium-ion projects (400MW/1.6GWh), with no LFP projects, and explicitly stated that "in principle, no new lithium battery shared energy storage projects will be built." CATL's Mojiang 1GW/4GWh sodium-ion standalone shared ESS power station completed filing, making it China's first GWh-level grid-side pure sodium-ion project.

Shanxi and Inner Mongolia are the most willing to place big bets in terms of policy and investment intensity. Shanxi ranked first nationwide in newly filed capacity in August 2026 (36 projects, 7.33GW/18.56GWh), and its new-type energy storage development implementation plan encourages no less than 10% to use sodium-ion batteries, with a new-type energy storage installation target of 14GW by the end of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. Inner Mongolia grants review bonus points for sodium-ion technology, and in H1 2026, sodium-ion investment reached 26.14 billion yuan, ranking first nationwide.

Zhejiang, Hunan, Shanghai, and Guangxi are pursuing subsidy and demonstration routes. Zhejiang provides an additional 0.1 yuan/kWh discharge subsidy for energy storage projects using sodium-ion batteries; Hunan includes sodium-ion batteries alongside solid-state batteries in its industrial action plan, with a 0.1 yuan/kWh subsidy for behind-the-meter (BTM) applications; Shanghai has included sodium-ion batteries in the support scope for new-type energy storage demonstration projects, and the Jiading 50MW/200MWh lithium-sodium project has been awarded; Guangxi Nanning Fulin sodium-ion battery ESS power station is China's first large-capacity sodium-ion power station, with Phase II expansion to 50MWh and system costs reduced by nearly 20%.

Other provinces are mostly driven by industrial projects. Guangdong Huadian Pingshi 1.2GW/4.8GWh (LFP + sodium-ion + flow battery + flywheel) has been filed with a total investment of 4.5 billion yuan; Sichuan Neijiang has signed 8 sodium-ion projects, with Highstar's Sodium Star 6GWh project landing; Qinghai Zhaorui's 5.839 billion yuan 5GWh battery cell and 5GWh equipment project has landed in Haidong; Gansu Jinchang Jinche Energy Storage's 18GWh project has been strategically restructured and relaunched from the LFP route; Fujian Fuding Times Phase VI 40GWh with a total investment of 5 billion yuan; Tianjin Yingnengji 1GWh has landed in the Economic Development Zone; Anhui Chilwee Anqing 6.5GWh Phase I has commenced production; Shandong Zibo is exploring "distribution-area ESS" and "industrial park ESS"; Xinjiang grants review bonus points for sodium-ion projects in high-altitude cold regions; Heilongjiang Hegang is advancing a 100MW/400MWh standalone ESS; Shaanxi Fuyan Park 3GWh base EPC; Liaoning Shandong Hi-Speed New Energy and PowerChina's 1GWh project has landed in Chaoyang; Jiangxi Nanchang and Guizhou Lu'an Economic Development Zone have also listed sodium-ion batteries as a key direction.

IV. SMM Views and Outlook

2026-2027 is the installation verification period for sodium-ion battery energy storage, and Hebei is the best observation window. Hebei is currently the only province where the three elements of "policy—projects—prices" are all in place. The actual grid connection progress and operational data of hard-deadline projects such as Hengshui Jizhou will directly determine the credibility of sodium-ion batteries in the provincial power market.

The pace of cost parity matters more than the debate over technology routes. The price spread between 1.035 Yuan/Wh and 0.518 Yuan/Wh essentially reflects that sodium-ion batteries have not yet achieved scale-based cost amortization. As of July 2026, 34 enterprises across the country have laid out 45 sodium-ion battery cell capacity bases, covering 20 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. The mass production and delivery pace of products such as CATL's "Tianheng" system, Hithium's ∞Power N 4.0MWh, and EVE's NF155L is the key variable for the price inflection point.

Structural shortcomings remain on the materials and standards fronts. Sodium-ion batteries for energy storage are dominated by polyanion systems such as NFPP, with hard carbon anodes as the core bottleneck. The Technical Requirements for Sodium-Ion Batteries for Energy Storage (T/CIAPS0052—2026) was implemented on February 1, 2026. The institutional framework is already in place, but the accumulation of engineering validation data remains insufficient.

Conclusion: Hebei has used four tools—"list-based management + electricity price linkage + hard deadlines + open bidding"—to push sodium-ion battery energy storage from concept to construction site, and has provided the entire industry with a measurable price anchor. Yunnan is more aggressive in route selection, and Shanxi and Inner Mongolia are more willing to place bigger bets on investment intensity, but Hebei is currently the only province that has written sodium-ion batteries into its provincial power project timeline and produced real transaction prices. The next point of interest is not "how many provinces have made statements," but rather the actual grid connection scale and cycle data of Hebei's lithium-sodium hybrid projects in Q1 2027—that is the moment when sodium-ion battery energy storage truly earns its entry ticket.

SMM New Energy Research Team

Wang Cong 021-51666838

Feng Disheng 021-51666714

Lyu Yanlin 021-20707875