According to SMM data, compared with the rapid growth of cathode and anode materials, the electrolyte and battery cell markets maintained high YoY growth but were affected in the short term by factors such as cost control, capacity alignment, and the pace of end-use demand release, presenting an operational landscape of "stability with adjustments."

On April 29, 2026, Zhongyi Group (Jilin) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.'s 100kt/year sodium-ion battery hard carbon anode material project completed filing in Liuhe County, Tonghua, Jilin. The project has a total investment of 1.495 billion yuan and will be constructed in two phases, with plans to commence construction in December 2026 and complete in December 2029. The company is a Sino-foreign joint venture high-tech enterprise with existing capacity of 300,000 mt of anode materials. Leveraging green electricity production and over 100 patented technologies, it focuses on the sodium-ion battery anode material sector. North-east China, with its low-temperature adaptability and policy support, is becoming a hot topic for sodium-ion battery industry deployment. Jilin plans to achieve new-type energy storage ESS installations of no less than 3 million kW by 2030, continuously promoting sodium-ion battery R&D and extreme-cold testing base construction.

Recently, Jiana Energy's subsidiary Chibi Luoneng New Energy completed the filing for its sodium-ion battery biomass hard carbon anode project. With a total investment of 17 million yuan, the project will renovate 3,500 m² of factory space and is expected to produce 3,000 mt of sodium-ion battery biomass hard carbon anode annually, with construction planned to commence in May. Previously, Jiana Energy had established a 1,200 mt purified hard carbon pilot project in Huangshi. Combined with the launch of the Chibi project, the company's hard carbon anode capacity footprint is further expanding. Leveraging its iron-based polyanion cathode plus biomass hard carbon anode technology route, Jiana Energy continues to enhance its upstream and downstream sodium-ion battery industry chain, facilitating cost reduction and accelerating the scaling and industrialisation of the sodium-ion battery industry chain.

[SMM Analysis: Anode Material Achieves Track Upgrade Riding the Tailwind of Battery Cell Technology] The material upgrade demand on the battery cell side is effectively driving structural growth in demand for sub-segments such as silicon carbon anode, hard carbon anode, and high-end modified graphite.

As production order fully resumed after the Chinese New Year, the sodium-ion battery industry chain saw a strong recovery in March. Production across the four major segments—cathode, anode, electrolyte, and battery cell—posted substantial growth both YoY and MoM, with industry prosperity rebounding markedly.

In 2026, the correction in lithium carbonate prices drove up lithium battery production costs. Coupled with uncertainties in lithium resources supply, cost pressure across the new energy industry became increasingly prominent. Leveraging the advantages of abundant sodium resources, balanced distribution, and controllable costs, sodium-ion batteries have leapt from being a “backup option” for lithium batteries to a key direction for industry breakthrough...