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CATL made the global debut of its 9 MWh Tener+ battery energy storage system at All Energy Australia 2026 and showcased its Tener Sodium system. The company says Australian developers are showing strong interest in sodium-ion storage for grid-connected and off-grid projects; it also announced three local partnership agreements.
CATL made the global debut of its 9 MWh Tener+ battery energy storage system at All Energy Australia 2026, while showcasing its Tener Sodium system and reporting strong Australian interest in sodium-ion batteries. The Chinese manufacturer also announced three memoranda of understanding with Australian partners, positioning the event as both a product launch and a step toward local technical, integration and training support.
CATL says Tener+ can reduce the number of containers required by 40% and a project’s footprint by 35% compared with the basis used for its product claims. The company describes the system as designed for projects where land is constrained. It also says Tener+ has liquid cooling, thermal management intended to limit auxiliary power use, and an operating noise level below 65 dBA.
The manufacturer lists a planned 25-year lifespan for Tener+ and says multiple units can be commissioned together through a single command. The system is designed with protection for humid and coastal conditions, according to CATL. These are product specifications supplied by the company; the event report does not provide independent test results or project operating data confirming performance in the field.
CATL also presented Tener Sodium, which it says uses a modular cabinet design to deliver more than 30 MWh and can reduce total engineering, procurement and construction costs by more than 10% against containerized lithium iron phosphate systems. The company states that it can operate at temperatures up to 55°C, provide more than 10,000 cycles at 45°C and reach 95% round-trip efficiency, with a lifespan exceeding 20 years. The report does not specify the projects, test conditions or calculation details underlying those figures.
Two Battery Platforms for Australian Projects
The announcement matters because developers and grid operators need storage that can support electricity networks as generation changes and coal-fired power stations retire. CATL’s pitch is that lithium-ion and sodium-ion options can give project owners more flexibility to match battery chemistry and system design to site conditions, operating demands and supply considerations.
For developers facing limited land, the claimed smaller footprint of Tener+ could affect site planning, while CATL’s sodium-ion cost and hot-weather performance claims may draw attention in Australia. However, the figures are manufacturer claims, not evidence that a particular project will achieve those results. Actual economics and reliability depend on system design, installation, operating patterns, grid requirements and long-term performance.
The three announced agreements address a separate practical issue: delivering and supporting large battery projects locally. Work with Hitachi Energy, EPEC Group and the Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Research Institute is intended to cover integration and system validation. CATL and the University of New South Wales also plan a training and innovation centre in Western Sydney. The agreements could build local capability, but their announced aims do not establish completed projects or outcomes.
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Partnerships and a Victorian Project
At the event, CATL said it had signed three memoranda of understanding with Hitachi Energy, EPEC Group and the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney). CATL and Hitachi Energy intend to develop an integrated offering combining CATL battery products with Hitachi Energy power conversion systems, with a stated goal of improving compatibility and standardizing project delivery in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
A separate collaboration involving EPEC Group and the Xiamen Empirical Energy Storage Research Institute is intended to combine battery technology, grid integration and engineering delivery with full-scale system validation. CATL and UNSW Sydney plan to develop a Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Training and Innovation in Western Sydney. The source describes the agreements as memoranda of understanding; it does not provide detailed schedules, funding or binding delivery commitments.
The announcements build on CATL’s existing work with Australian customers. Melbourne-based investor Birdwood Energy selected CATL as technology partner for the Barandudua Electrical Energy Reserve, a proposed 400 MW / 1,860 MWh battery near Wodonga, Victoria. Birdwood said its selection followed a procurement review of cost, product suitability and delivery requirements. That project provides a local example of CATL’s involvement, but it is separate from the Tener+ global debut.
Performance Claims Await Project Evidence
The event report does not identify a customer or project that will deploy Tener+, nor does it provide a commercial delivery schedule, price or manufacturing and installation plan for the newly introduced system. It is also unclear whether the claimed reductions in container count and project footprint are measured against a specified reference system or under particular site assumptions.
CATL’s statements about Tener Sodium’s cost reduction, efficiency, cycle life and high-temperature operation are not accompanied in the report by independent validation data, test protocols or project results. Zhou described market interest, but no order volume, named sodium-ion project or binding customer commitment was disclosed. The scope, funding and milestones for the partnership agreements were also not specified.
Project Plans and Validation to Follow
The next indicators will be whether CATL or its partners publish project-specific deployment plans, technical documentation and validation results for Tener+ or Tener Sodium. Details such as availability, pricing, warranty terms and performance under defined operating conditions would help developers assess the systems against alternatives.
For the announced collaborations, further information is needed on the proposed integrated offering, the validation work with EPEC Group and the research institute, and the timetable for the UNSW-linked training centre. Birdwood Energy’s Barandudua project is a separate existing development that may provide a reference for CATL’s Australian delivery activity as project details advance. No dates for these next milestones were given in the report.
Key Questions
What did CATL announce at All Energy Australia 2026?
CATL made the global debut of its 9 MWh Tener+ battery energy storage system and showcased its Tener Sodium system. It also announced three memoranda of understanding with Australian partners.
What does CATL claim Tener+ offers?
CATL says Tener+ can reduce container numbers by 40% and project footprint by 35%. The company also lists liquid cooling, noise below 65 dBA and a planned 25-year lifespan. These are manufacturer specifications; independent project results were not provided in the report.
What are the stated specifications for Tener Sodium?
CATL says the modular system delivers more than 30 MWh, can operate at temperatures up to 55°C and provides more than 10,000 cycles at 45°C. The company also claims 95% round-trip efficiency, a lifespan above 20 years and EPC costs more than 10% lower than containerized LFP systems. The report does not include independent validation details.
Has CATL disclosed a Tener Sodium project in Australia?
The report says CATL has received strong interest in sodium-ion batteries for both National Electricity Market and off-grid applications, but it names no Tener Sodium customer order or Australian deployment.
What Australian project has selected CATL?
Birdwood Energy selected CATL as technology partner for the 400 MW / 1,860 MWh Barandudua Electrical Energy Reserve near Wodonga, Victoria. That project is distinct from the Tener+ debut, and the report does not say it will use either newly showcased system.
Source: ess-news.com
