Providing a Replicable Path for Green Energy Independence in Developing Countries

Hu Yongsheng stated that China's sodium-ion battery (SIB) technology is emerging as a "new global green energy calling card." The commissioning of the Qianjiang Power Station has garnered widespread attention in the international energy sector. He noted, "Sodium-ion battery technology has built a technological moat through patent licensing in multiple countries, serving as a key cornerstone for China to seize the commanding heights of international technology. Relying on a global patent portfolio accounting for 70% of the world's total and rapid industrialization capabilities, China's sodium-ion battery industry has taken a significant lead in the global new energy storage sector." The relevant technologies have been granted patents in China, the United States, Japan, the European Union and other countries/regions, demonstrating strong R&D control and technological discourse power.

Notably, China has shifted from a "participant" to a "formulator" of international standards. Hu Yongsheng emphasized, "In tandem with industrial advantages is leadership in international standard-setting. Since 2021, Natrium Energy (Zhongke Haina), together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA), and domestic sodium-ion battery enterprises, has formulated a number of standards covering materials, cells, applications and other fields. These standards are becoming de facto international standards or core references for international standard formulation. Such progress underscores China's technological discourse power in the new energy storage sector, as it transitions from a standard participant to a rule-maker."

From a market and strategic perspective, sodium-ion batteries are not merely a technological alternative but a strategic response by China to its high external dependence on lithium resources. China's import dependence on lithium resources exceeds 70%, whereas sodium resources are abundant and widely distributed. Hu Yongsheng told reporters, "Sodium-ion batteries are not intended to replace lithium-ion batteries but to build a complementary system, which is crucial for China to break free from the passive position in lithium resource pricing. Compared with lithium iron phosphate batteries, sodium-ion batteries form a price-anchoring effect thanks to their inherent raw material cost advantages and stable performance."

Hu Yongsheng also forecast the future market outlook: "As the application scale expands, the cost advantages of sodium-ion batteries will become increasingly prominent, and their market share in the new energy sector is expected to exceed 20% by 2030. Owing to compatibility with the lithium-ion battery industrial ecosystem, they will first, fluctuate counter-cyclically with lithium battery price changes, automatically adjusting the supply and demand of lithium and acting as a stabilizer for lithium resource prices; second, they can proactively intervene in lithium resource prices through the application strategies and deployment scale of sodium-ion batteries."

Meanwhile, sodium-ion batteries are poised to become China's fourth "international green energy calling card," following photovoltaics, wind power and lithium-ion batteries. Natrium Energy has established cooperation with countries and regions including the United Kingdom, Germany and Southeast Asia. Hu Yongsheng stated, "Judging from the current development trend and technological advantages, sodium-ion batteries, together with other new energy storage technologies, are expected to become an 'international green energy calling card.' Sodium-ion batteries boast unique advantages: 'fast charging without degradation, unimpeded performance at low temperatures, worry-free over-discharge tolerance, and unlimited resources.'" "These advantages enable them to provide 'resource-adaptable' solutions for developing countries. For instance, in developing countries lacking lithium resources, sodium-ion batteries can make full use of the widely abundant sodium resources, reducing reliance on imported lithium."

This technology export is exerting extensive international influence. Hu Yongsheng said, "This combination of 'Chinese technology + local resources' is reshaping the global new energy industrial landscape, providing developing countries with a replicable path to green energy independence and offering important reference value for developing countries worldwide to advance green technology." Especially in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, "Sodium-ion batteries feature abundant resources and low costs, with cost advantages throughout the full life cycle. They will directly drive the growth of new energy storage installations in power-deficient countries, accelerating the global adoption of renewable energy and reshaping the global division of labor in the new energy industry."