LG Energy Solution Sodium-ion Battery mother line is moving from roadmap to execution in 2026. The company plans to establish the new mother line at its Ochang Energy Plant by the end of this year. As a result, LG Energy Solution will speed up sodium-ion battery development, production testing, and customer validation for energy storage applications.
Moreover, the project shows how quickly the company wants to scale this technology. Industry sources said on July 16 that LG Energy Solution will begin proof-of-concept projects with global customers in 2027. In addition, the company plans grid-connected demonstrations for energy storage systems using sodium-ion batteries. These tests will help confirm performance and reliability in real operating conditions.
LG Energy Solution Sodium-Ion Battery Mother Line at Ochang
LG Energy Solution chose a mother line instead of a standard pilot line for a clear reason. A mother line mirrors real mass-production processes. Therefore, it can test productivity and product quality at the same time. By contrast, a typical pilot line focuses more on prototype output.
The company will convert part of an existing Lithium-ion battery production line at Ochang for sodium-ion batteries. This strategy lowers fresh capital spending. At the same time, it shortens the path toward commercialization. That combination makes the Ochang project important for both product development and future manufacturing scale-up.
Why the LG Energy Solution Sodium-Ion Battery Mother Line Matters
The sodium-ion battery market remains at an early stage. Because of that, battery buyers have a chance to build new supply chains. This point matters especially in North America. There, lithium iron phosphate batteries largely depend on Chinese manufacturers. As a result, many customers want more supply chain diversity.
LG Energy Solution appears to see that opening clearly. The company aims to compete with products that offer higher energy density and long lifespan. To do that, it will use its own manufacturing process and advanced materials technology. Consequently, the Ochang mother line could become a key step in building a non-Chinese sodium-ion battery supply path for global energy storage customers.
Materials and Cost Advantages for ESS
Like lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries use a cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator. However, the material mix changes. Sodium-ion batteries do not need nickel, cobalt, or lithium. Instead, they rely on sodium carbonate as a primary raw material.
Sodium carbonate is abundant. Therefore, supply can remain more stable. It also supports better cost competitiveness because price swings tend to stay lower than those seen in lithium-related materials. For energy storage system projects, that cost profile can make planning easier and more predictable.
In addition, sodium-ion batteries fit ESS use well. They offer long cycle life, strong power output, and solid low-temperature performance. Hard carbon, which serves as the anode material, changes volume only slightly during charging and discharging. Because of that, it supports repeated use effectively. LG Energy Solution sees long-duration ESS, which stores electricity for more than six hours, as the first target market.
LG Energy Solution Sodium-Ion Battery Mother Line and AZS Process
LG Energy Solution plans to apply its proprietary Advanced Z-Stacking, or AZS, process to sodium-ion batteries. This process sets the company apart from CATL’s winding process. AZS combines Z-stacking with lamination technology. As a result, the process stacks electrodes layer by layer in a highly efficient structure.
Compared with winding, AZS improves space use inside the cell. Therefore, it can deliver higher energy density within the same footprint. The process also reduces electrode deformation. In turn, that supports longer cycle life and stronger safety performance.
LG Energy Solution first adopted AZS in 2024 at HLI Green Power, its joint venture with Hyundai Motor Group in Indonesia. Later, the company introduced the process at L-H Battery Company in the United States. Now, it plans to use the domestic equipment ecosystem to manufacture sodium-ion batteries as development advances.
2026 Progress Beyond the Ochang Plant
LG Energy Solution first unveiled its sodium-ion battery roadmap in 2025. Then, in March 2026, it showed a pouch-type sodium-ion battery cell at InterBattery 2026. The company also expanded development activity in China. In April 2026, it converted one production line at Nanjing Plant 1 into a pilot line with annual capacity of 200 megawatt-hours.
Beginning in the second half of 2026, LG Energy Solution plans to produce prismatic sodium-ion batteries there. The goal is clear. The company wants to support product development and performance verification with actual manufacturing output.
What Comes Next for LG Energy Solution Sodium-Ion Battery Mother Line
Looking ahead, LG Energy Solution has already prepared proof-of-concept projects with a major US utility during 2026. It has also set a roadmap for a large-scale production system by 2030. These milestones show a steady and practical expansion plan.
Meanwhile, competition is also building. CATL plans gigawatt-hour-scale sodium-ion battery production in 2026. Samsung SDI and SK On are also developing sodium-ion batteries, and Samsung SDI plans a production line at its Ulsan facility. Even so, LG Energy Solution is positioning Ochang as an important launch point.
An LG Energy Solution spokesperson said the company continues research and development with the goal of commercializing sodium-ion batteries. While final mass-production timing and product specifications remain under review, the direction is clear. LG Energy Solution is building the sodium-ion battery mother line at Ochang to move faster toward commercial-scale ESS opportunities.
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