CATL Begins Mass Production of Next-Gen 587 Ah Energy Storage Battery Cell

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) has begun mass production and delivery of its latest energy storage battery cell, the company announced on Monday, signaling continued investment in the rapidly growing global storage sector.

The new 587 Ah high-capacity cell—unveiled at an event in Shanghai—marks the culmination of a three-year development cycle aimed at balancing regulatory compliance, system integration, and electrochemical performance. “This cell represents a golden balance between compliance, station compatibility, and efficiency,” CATL said during the launch event.

Engineered for compatibility with mainstream 20-foot container systems and 1,500 V power conversion systems (PCS), the cell reduces system complexity by slashing the number of components per unit from 30,000 to 18,000. With an energy density of 434 Wh/L, it offers a 10% increase over CATL’s previous generation, while energy storage systems using the new cell can boost overall energy density by up to 25%.

CATL highlighted the product’s safety under stress conditions, claiming it remained stable during overcharging, thermal runaway, and puncture tests. “The cell has passed all mandatory standards tests in China and achieves no fire or explosion under extreme conditions,” the company stated.

The energy storage battery also delivers a 5% improvement in lifecycle investment return compared to earlier models, benefiting from gains in reliability, density, degradation resistance, and system efficiency.

CATL has deployed over 256 GWh of energy storage capacity worldwide through iterations including 280 Ah and 314 Ah models. These have been used in more than 1,000 projects globally, the company said, with a “zero-accident safety record to date.”

Although best known as the world’s top electric vehicle (EV) battery supplier, CATL has made energy storage a key growth segment. In 2024, energy storage systems contributed RMB 57.29 billion ($7.9 billion) to CATL’s total revenue, up from 14.94% in 2023 to 15.83%, even as overall revenue fell 9.7% year-on-year to RMB 362 billion ($50 billion).