Progress and Prospect of Industrialization of Sodium‐Ion Battery in China

Abstract As the energy transition accelerates, energy storage technologies continue to play a key role. It has now become a priority to find alternatives to reduce over‐reliance on a few key raw materials, such as lithium. Recently, sodium‐ion batteries have attracted considerable attention: this technology, which is being rapidly industrialized, can offer a viable alternative or complement in several applications dominated by lithium‐ion batteries. China currently dominates in this field, hence it is critical to explore demand drivers, the current domestic supply chain, and technical directions, as well as the remaining barriers to large‐scale adoption. This industry‐led work presents a concise and accurate summary of the commercialization of sodium‐ion batteries. It analyzes market drivers, reviews the current state‐of‐the‐art, and discusses key application‐side requirements for technology adoption. Furthermore, it reviews major market players and provides a current snapshot of the status of both the upstream and downstream sodium‐ion supply chains, identifying current supply‐side and performance gaps of specific battery components. Ultimately, this work provides a critical assessment of the state‐of‐the‐art in sodium‐ion batteries and a way forward for sodium‐ion battery research and development. These insights will help accelerate the market adoption of sodium‐ion and contribute to bridging the academia‐industry gap.