Silicon-Carbon Anode Industrialization Accelerates: High-End Applications Set to Surge by 2026, Output Expected to Grow Over 40-Fold in Five Years

Silicon-carbon anode materials are entering a phase of large-scale industrialization. Data shows that global anode material production is expected to reach approximately 3 million tons in 2025, with silicon-based materials accounting for only 90,000 tons. However, silicon anode output is projected to surge to 390,000 tons in 2024. A leading domestic company anticipates total silicon anode sales of around 1,000 tons in 2025, with monthly shipments already reaching 400–500 tons in 2024 and projected sales in 2026 expected to grow five to six times compared to 2025. Previously, silicon anodes were primarily used in small-power applications such as power tools and consumer electronics. Starting in 2026, high-energy-density-demand sectors—including premium new energy vehicles, eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft), and embodied intelligent devices—are expected to become the main drivers of incremental demand. China’s upcoming “15th Five-Year Plan” highlights low-altitude economy and embodied intelligence, both of which impose higher requirements on battery energy density—requirements that conventional graphite anodes struggle to meet, making silicon-carbon materials a critical technological pathway. Advancements in battery technology are also accelerating silicon anode adoption. Both semi-solid and solid-state batteries tend to favor silicon-based anodes. By 2030, global silicon anode material production is forecast to reach 3.38 million tons, representing over 30% of total anode material output, with the market size potentially exceeding RMB 100 billion. The primary challenge in silicon anode commercialization lies in addressing the significant volume expansion of silicon during charge-discharge cycles. Currently, the industry follows two mainstream technical routes: ball-milled silicon and vapor-phase silicon. While their underlying principles are similar, they differ in microstructure design and process implementation. One company has developed proprietary nano-silicon technology, controlling particle size to 30–40 nanometers to effectively prevent pulverization. The company has established two product lines: nano-silicon-carbon and vapor-phase silicon-carbon. The former achieves a specific capacity close to 1,600 mAh/g with a first-cycle efficiency exceeding 90%, while the latter delivers 1,800–2,200 mAh/g. Cost remains the ultimate test for industrialization. Industry players estimate that by 2025–2026, the per-mAh cost of silicon anodes could match or even fall below that of graphite. As production capacity scales up and demand grows, costs are expected to decline further. Companies have already begun expanding capacity ahead of schedule and emphasize the importance of supply chain collaboration in introducing new materials. They believe that only through real-world application—identifying issues and continuously optimizing—can the maturity of silicon anodes be accelerated, ensuring China doesn’t fall behind foreign competitors in this strategic field.