Sodium-ion batteries challenge lithium's dominance in storage

Sodium-ion chemistry is moving from lab curiosity to commercial deployment, with CATL and other manufacturers shipping units at scale—a direct threat to the lithium-iron-phosphate monopoly that has defined the last decade of stationary storage. The chemistry trades some energy density for dramatically lower cost, zero supply chain choke points (sodium is abundant), and comparable safety, which makes it particularly dangerous to companies betting on lithium's defensibility in grid and residential applications. The stakes are logistics: if sodium-ion hits cost parity in the next 18-24 months, capital deployment in energy storage swings away from established lithium players, potentially stranding billions in planned LFP capacity additions.