CATL expands into Australia with deal with Zinfra for battery storage projects

Chinese battery giant CATL announced last week that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian energy infrastructure service provider Zinfra to “establish a strategic cooperation framework.”

The two parties said that they have agreed on terms to deliver and maintain large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects in Australia, with CATL represented by CATA, its Australian subsidiary.

CATL said it marks an “important step” as it implements its “integrated ‘product + service’ capabilities in overseas markets,” as it leans on Zinfra to offer projects and engineering delivery on O&M and service capacity for its projects. Zinfra noted it has an annual project portfolio exceeding AUD$1.2 billion (USD 865 million).

Zinfra added, “The signing of this MOU is anticipated to support growth in: utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), EPC delivery, construction and commissioning expertise, long-term operations, maintenance and lifecycle services, capability building with class-leading battery platforms/”

This is a marked change to CATL’s approach. It is the most important company in the upstream battery supply chain, and offers ESS products as well, as one of the largest producers of battery cells, and also operates lithium mines. It also has its own energy storage products, such as the 9 MWh Tener Stack, which have been sold across the globe, including to Latin America for the first time in 2026. However, it hasn’t tied itself to particular developers or operators or publicised large service agreements. According to CATL’s own, its global market share in energy storage battery shipments reached 30.4% in 2025.

That move in Australia has now happened, and CATL looks set to branch out further, as it said it “will continue to collaborate with local partners like Zinfra.”

“CATL is committed to supporting the global energy transition through innovative and high-quality energy storage solutions. We are pleased to partner with Zinfra to support the growth of energy storage infrastructure in Australia, said Zane Zhou, general manager of CATA [CATL].

“Every day, Zinfra is focused on driving innovation in energy infrastructure delivery. Forming partnerships with global and local leaders in new energy technologies is key to this,” said Zinfra Managing Director Peter Iancov. “Battery and energy storage infrastructure is a critical component in building and maintaining a future-ready network, and we are ensuring Zinfra is positioned to deliver solutions that support our customers and keep our communities connected.”