Jiangsu Firm Launches 10,000-Ton Battery Utilization Project to Boost Regional New Energy Industry

Wu Kai, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief scientist of CATL, said at the 2026 Equipment Power Forum that the company will achieve mass production of a series of sodium-ion battery products this year. Compared with lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries have abundant raw material resources and lower costs. Looking ahead, lithium-air batteries will be CATL's future direction. Wu Kai explained that lithium-air batteries use lithium as the negative electrode and oxygen from the air as the positive electrode reactant, offering ultra-high theoretical energy density and representing the next global battleground for next-generation batteries.

From January to April, Suzhou's industrial added value grew 9.8% year-on-year, with total output reaching 1.61 trillion yuan (+7.3%). Twenty-seven of 34 industrial sectors saw growth (79.4% expansion surface), 16 of which exceeded 8%. High-tech output rose 11.7% to 916.5 billion yuan, led by aerospace (+23.1%), electronics (+20.0%), pharmaceuticals (+12.1%), and instruments (+14.6%). Production of smartphones (+8.5%), integrated circuits (+18.1%), optoelectronic devices (+18.2%), and lithium-ion batteries (+46.3%) increased rapidly.

Italian energy giant Eni and battery energy storage company Seri Industrial have signed an agreement to jointly develop an industrial supply chain for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, the two companies disclosed on Friday. In a joint statement, the partners said the collaboration will be carried out through their respective subsidiaries Eni Industrial Evolution and FIB. The scope includes the production of LFP battery cells and modules, as well as the assembly of stationary energy storage systems for the industrial and commercial sectors and systems for electric mobility.