TENER+ launched in Melbourne
CATL presented TENER+ at All Energy Australia 2026 in Melbourne on 29 October and also showed TENER Sodium, a sodium-ion system. The company said it signed memorandums of understanding with Hitachi Energy, EPEC Group and UNSW Sydney to strengthen the delivery and grid connection of utility-scale battery projects in Australia.
9MWh per unit
TENER+ is a 9MWh unit that CATL says reduces the number of containers a project needs by up to 40% and its footprint by 12%. The company lists a 25-year lifespan, liquid cooling and protection for humid and coastal environments, and noise below 65 dBA at one metre. Its top-exhaust design sends hot air vertically rather than sideways, which CATL says keeps neighbouring power conversion units running at full rated power in extreme summer conditions. Multiple units can be commissioned together with a single click.
Sodium-ion alternative
TENER Sodium, which CATL describes as the first mass-produced, field-validated sodium-ion battery energy storage system, delivers more than 30MWh through modular cabinet architecture. It operates at temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius, delivers more than 10,000 cycles at 45 degrees Celsius and 95% round-trip efficiency, and carries a stated operating lifespan of more than 20 years.
What the agreements cover
The company cited AEMO figures showing renewables supplied a record 44.3% of National Electricity Market generation in the September 2026 quarter, and that grid-scale batteries supplied 8% of evening peak generation, overtaking gas for the first time. It said retiring coal-fired stations leave the grid needing storage with grid-forming capability for voltage and frequency support.
Under the Hitachi Energy agreement, CATL's DC battery products and Hitachi's power conversion systems would form the basis of a proposed integrated offering in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, with the stated aims of improving compatibility, standardising project delivery and reducing integration risk. With EPEC Group and the Xiamen Energy Storage Validation Research Institute, CATL will combine its storage technology with grid integration and engineering delivery work and full-scale system validation. CATL and UNSW Sydney will jointly develop the Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Training and Innovation in Western Sydney, NSW.
