CATL’s expansion, alongside China’s Belt and Road Initiative, is linked to an export model that goes beyond individual batteries, solar modules and wind turbines. The approach combines equipment, power electronics, project development, digital systems and capital. CATL’s investments and the latest Belt and Road financing data point to an integrated Chinese electricity system being packaged for overseas deployment.
CATL’s market position in EV batteries and energy storage
CATL controls about 40% of the global EV battery market. The company generated approximately three-quarters of its $61.4 billion in annual sales from that business. It has also captured roughly 30% of the battery energy-storage-system market.
That positioning places CATL at the intersection of transport electrification and grid flexibility. The company’s activity extends across multiple end-use sectors rather than focusing only on cell supply. Its corporate footprint includes investments tied to power systems and digital infrastructure.
From batteries to ports, ships, swapping networks and power systems
CATL is expanding into ports, factories, mines, buildings, data centres, aircraft and vessels. Its batteries are already deployed on close to 1,000 ships, mostly operating in Chinese coastal and inland waters. The company has also invested in battery-swapping networks for cars and trucks, with potential application to marine transport.
The investment reach is described as substantial across corporate entities. CATL has made direct investments in 152 entities and indirect investments in more than 9,900 businesses. It spent close to $1 billion for a 38% stake in data-centre operator VNET.
CATL also built a 49% holding in Zhongheng Electric, a supplier of high-voltage direct-current power systems. These moves are presented as part of a shift away from remaining only a cell supplier. The direction is toward system integration across battery chemistry, containers, cooling, control software and power conversion.
Belt and Road green-energy transactions and private-sector participation
Belt and Road financing is expanding alongside CATL’s broader clean-technology push. China’s Belt and Road Initiative recorded $20.1 billion of green-energy transactions in the first half of 2026. That total already exceeded the full-year 2025 figure.
The first-half figure included $11.8 billion of construction projects and $8.3 billion of investments. Total Belt and Road activity reached $126.3 billion. Private companies accounted for 48% of engagement compared with only 13% in 2022.
The data also shows Chinese investment in Africa almost tripled to $33.5 billion during the first half of 2026. This is described as a shift from politically directed state projects toward more commercially driven expansion.
Integrated equipment-plus-financing model for Southeast Europe procurement
The emerging offer bundles capabilities including Chinese equipment, engineering, construction, financing and long-term operation within one commercial ecosystem. The model can be attractive where imported-fuel prices are high and electricity-demand growth is rapid due to lower capital cost and faster execution.
For Europe and Southeast Europe, the model is linked to both storage deployment acceleration and project CAPEX reduction through Chinese battery systems. Chinese capital can also support projects that struggle to attract Western financing. At the same time, concentration in equipment, software, data control and maintenance raises long-term supply-chain and cybersecurity questions.
Requirements for lenders, grid operators and industrial customers
The procurement process is expected to consider more than initial price when selecting integrated systems. Grid operators and lenders need performance guarantees, degradation curves, fire-safety evidence, data-access rules, spare-parts commitments and clear liability across the full operating life. Industrial customers are also expected to require confidence that systems comply with European grid codes and cybersecurity standards.
Sodium-ion production as an extension beyond maximum energy density
The integration approach is described as designing battery chemistry alongside containers, cooling, control software, power conversion and the customer’s electrical infrastructure as one platform. Sodium-ion battery mass production could extend this reach into applications where cost and resource availability matter more than maximum energy density.
The broader framing is that China’s competitive advantage is not limited to manufacturing costs alone. Instead, it is exporting integrated electricity platforms that combine multiple layers of delivery over decades of operation.
