On the morning of September 16, the commissioning ceremony of Namei New Energy Technology (Bazhong) Co., Ltd., held together with a Bazhong sodium industry supply-demand matchmaking conference, took place in the Bazhong Economic Development Zone. Following an on-site countdown, Namei's 1.5GWh sodium-ion battery Phase I project was officially declared in production - described by the local government as China's first GWh-scale full-tab large cylindrical sodium-ion battery intelligent mass-production line in Bazhong.
Per the Bazhong Investment Promotion Bureau, the project represents a total investment of about RMB 500 million; the Bazhong base focuses on sodium-ion cell and system R&D and manufacturing for grid storage, C&I storage, NEVs and backup power. Two new sodium products were unveiled at the event; Li Wenzhong, deputy GM of shareholder Jiyuan Wanyang Smelting Group, endorsed Namei's 'low-temperature' and 'fast-charging' advantages, noting the project went 'from groundbreaking to production in under a year'.
Three rounds of agreements were signed the same day: first, bank-enterprise cooperation with BOC, CCB, PSBC branches and Bazhong Rural Commercial Bank; second, core supply chain with Shenzhen Jiana Energy, Zhenjiang Yingna New Energy Materials, Sichuan Baisige New Energy, Wuhan Tianna Technology and Xinxiang Huarui Lithium; third, strategic customers including Xuchang Dianke Storage, Shenzhen Carku, Huaan Xinchuang (Jiangsu), Hebei Construction Group Installation, Henan Wanyang Lithium, Jiangsu Lingshu Yuneng and Etanola. The Bazhong EDZ noted local foundations including Baisige's 5,000-tonne hard-carbon anode line at full capacity, plus Yue dong New Energy PACK and Luoyang Chubiandian power system projects under construction; the cell commissioning enables co-location with local hard-carbon anode material suppliers.
The three-round signing model is typical of local government 'nest-building' investment promotion, but signed agreements do not equal executed orders, and actual procurement volumes under supply-chain agreements were not disclosed. Commissioning does not equal full production; 'China's first GWh-scale full-tab cylindrical sodium line' is a government/event framing; the previously disclosed RMB 600+ million annual revenue at full ramp is a company/government projection, not realized performance; the 1.5GWh figure is a Phase I plan.