Hithium Launches 4 MWh Sodium-Ion Energy Storage System
Hithium unveiled its infinity Power N4.0MWh sodium-ion storage system on September 16, 2026, with a new 785 Ah cell and 20,000-cycle life.
Photo by Nhựt Nguyên Trần on Pexels
Chinese battery maker Hithium unveiled the infinity Power N4.0MWh on September 16, 2026, a 4 MWh sodium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) built around a new high-capacity infinity Cell N785Ah cell, at a product launch event in Xiamen, China. The 785 Ah cell carries a 20,000-cycle service life and a 30-year designed lifespan, according to PR Newswire and pv magazine Global, and represents what pv magazine described as “a huge step up in capacity” from Hithium’s first sodium-ion cell, achieved in under two years.
Hithium said it plans to begin full-scale production and delivery in 2027, using its existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines, starting with utility-scale storage before expanding into commercial, industrial and residential products. “Energy storage technologies must overcome two barriers to achieve large-scale deployment: affordability and availability,” said Nazar Yi, Hithium’s chief technology officer, as quoted by pv magazine.
From 162 Ah to 785 Ah in under two years
Hithium first entered the sodium-ion market in December 2024 with the infinity Cell N162Ah, which it billed as the first sodium-ion battery designed specifically for utility-scale energy storage. The new N785Ah cell is described by the company as “fully compatible” with its existing 1,000 Ah lithium-ion manufacturing platform, including cell and system integration lines, which Hithium says will support the production scale-up without new tooling.
The infinity Power N4.0MWh system uses a stacked-cell design that Hithium says cuts station footprint by 30% compared with its first-generation sodium-ion ESS, along with a battery management system rated at state-of-charge estimation accuracy of 2.5% or better and compatibility with 800-1,500V power conversion systems. Hithium said PCS rated-power utilization is more than 20% higher than in its first-generation product. A hybrid air-liquid cooling system, aided by weather data used to select a cooling mode, is designed to deliver what the company calls a “24-hour comprehensive efficiency of over 88%,” while cutting auxiliary power consumption by up to 30% and standby consumption by up to 50%.
Specifications at a glance
| Spec | infinity Cell N162Ah (Dec. 2024) | infinity Cell N785Ah (Sept. 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Cell capacity | 162 Ah | 785 Ah |
| System product | First-generation sodium-ion ESS | infinity Power N4.0MWh |
| Cycle life | Not stated in this reporting | 20,000 cycles |
| Design life | Not stated in this reporting | 30 years |
| Storage duration | Not stated in this reporting | 2 to 8 hours |
| Footprint vs. prior generation | – | 30% smaller |
| Full-scale production | Already in market | Planned 2027 |
Source: pv magazine Global and PR Newswire, September 16, 2026. Hithium said it is targeting a levelized cost of storage of roughly RMB 0.1 per kWh (about USD 1.5 cents per kWh), though pricing and availability details were not finalized at launch.
Hithium’s push into larger-format sodium-ion cells adds to a wider shift toward non-lithium storage chemistries that Winss Solutions has tracked in grid-scale battery storage, explained and in coverage asking whether iron-air batteries can deliver long-duration storage. The launch also follows a record quarter for the sector, after the US installed 20.2 GWh of energy storage between April and June 2026.
Background
Hithium is a Xiamen-based energy storage technology company that has built its business primarily on lithium iron phosphate battery cells and systems for utility-scale and commercial storage, and has more recently expanded into sodium-ion chemistry as a lower-cost, non-lithium alternative. The company entered the sodium-ion market in December 2024 with the infinity Cell N162Ah, a smaller-format cell it described as the first designed specifically for utility-scale storage. Sodium-ion technology uses widely available sodium rather than lithium, which proponents say can reduce raw-material cost and supply-chain risk, though the chemistry has historically trailed lithium-ion in energy density. Hithium’s September 2026 launch event, streamed live from China, positioned the infinity Power N4.0MWh as a step toward large-scale commercial deployment of sodium-ion storage starting with utility customers in 2027, ahead of a planned expansion to commercial, industrial and residential markets.
Sources: pv magazine Global; ESS News; PR Newswire / HiTHIUM
Featured image: photo by Nhựt Nguyên Trần on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
