Battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with HyperStrong on sodium-ion batteries for energy storage. The 2 companies will work together on a 60 GWh sodium-ion battery order over 3 years, making it the 'world’s largest commitment' in this technology to date.
Under the agreement, HyperStrong will collaborate with CATL on research and development, product application, and project deployment. CATL said the partnership reflects progress in scaling up sodium-ion battery manufacturing and delivery capabilities. The companies highlighted that sodium-ion batteries offer wide temperature tolerance, strong safety performance, and improved suitability for long-duration energy storage systems.
CATL shared that it has optimized production processes to support large-scale manufacturing and consistency of sodium-ion batteries. It expects the collaboration with HyperStrong to support the wider commercialization of sodium-ion storage systems and accelerate their deployment in energy storage projects.
TotalEnergies of France has completed its acquisition of a 50% stake in EPH’s flexible power generation platform in Western Europe. This creates a new joint venture (JV) called TTEP. Approved by regulators and both companies’ boards, the transaction took effect on April 29, 2026.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, TTEP becomes Europe’s 2nd largest flexible power generation player, according to TotalEnergies.
TTEP operates gas, biomass, and battery energy storage system (BESS) assets across Italy, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and France, with a total installed or under-construction capacity of 14 GW. It generated nearly 30 TWh of electricity in 2025.
TotalEnergies and EPH will market their respective shares of output through tolling agreements. TTEP also holds a 5 GW development pipeline and will act as the preferred investment vehicle for expanding flexible power and large-scale storage across its markets.
As part of the deal, TotalEnergies issued about 95.4 million new shares to EPH, giving it roughly 4.2% of TotalEnergies’ share capital, making EPH a significant shareholder.
ESS Tech, Inc., a US-based manufacturer of long-duration energy storage (LDES) systems, has signed a letter of intent to enter into a strategic partnership with Alsym Energy, a developer of non-flammable sodium-ion battery technology. Under the agreement reached, ESS Tech will procure 8.5 GWh of sodium-ion cells and modules. It will expand the company’s presence beyond long-duration storage into short- and medium-duration BESS.
Currently, the BESS segment is largely dominated by lithium-ion technologies. Both ESS and Alsym aim to offer a non-lithium alternative designed for improved safety, lower thermal risk, and simpler system design. Alsym’s sodium-ion batteries are described as non-flammable and thermally stable, reducing the need for complex cooling and fire suppression systems.
ESS said the combined offering will pair Alsym’s technology with its iron-flow Energy Base platform to cover a broader range of storage durations. The collaboration is intended to support utilities, data centers, and commercial customers seeking safer and more flexible energy storage solutions with diversified supply chains, they stressed.
ONDE SA, a Polish renewable energy contractor and developer, has secured a contract to construct a large battery energy storage system (BESS) for a global renewable energy investor. The project is expected to be operational by the end of 2027. The scope of work includes the construction of a substation as well as civil and electrical works. On completion, it will be one of the largest electricity storage facilities in Poland and among the largest in Europe.
ONDE said the project reflects growing demand for grid-balancing infrastructure as renewable energy adoption increases and battery costs decline. It is the company’s 2nd storage-related contract in recent weeks. At full load, it is expected to have enough capacity to supply power to more than 500,000 households, 24x7. Poland targets to more than quadruple its battery storage capacity by 2040 to reach 8.7 GW, including both large-scale storage facilities independent of wind farms and those built alongside them.
Investment manager QIC has completed a $33 million HoldCo financing for PanCentral, CGC Holdings, for its Cottage Grove BESS project in Minnesota, US. A special-purpose vehicle, PanCentral owns the 265 MW Cottage Grove Cogeneration combined-cycle gas turbine plant alongside which the Cottage Grove BESS will be co-located. The deal was led solely by QIC as arranger and lender. The financing will support the development of the 80 MW/320 MWh Cottage Grove BESS in the MISO Zone 1 market.
Both projects are backed by long-term contracted revenues with investment-grade counterparties, according to QIC. These are intended to enhance grid reliability amid rising demand and a shifting generation mix in the region in the wake of coal-fired power plants retiring in the region. QIC said the transaction brings QIC’s global infrastructure debt deployment to about $750 million across 15 deals.
