VNET Group, Inc., a carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider listed on Nasdaq, has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited, the global battery and new energy technology manufacturer known as CATL, the two companies announced on August 18, 2026.

Partnership Targets Next-Generation Digital Energy Infrastructure

The agreement brings together two companies operating in adjacent but converging industries, pairing VNET's large-scale computing infrastructure development and operations capabilities with CATL's expertise in zero-carbon new energy technologies. According to the announcement, the stated goal of the partnership is to shape next-generation digital energy infrastructure on a global scale.

CATL trades on both the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under the code 300750.SZ and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the code 03750.HK. VNET trades on Nasdaq under the ticker VNET and operates in more than 30 cities throughout China, serving a customer base of over 7,000 hosting and related enterprise customers spanning industries that include internet companies, government entities, blue-chip enterprises, and small- to mid-sized businesses.

Three-Layer Compute-Energy Ecosystem at the Core

The cooperation agreement outlines an ambitious structural framework the two companies plan to develop jointly. Leveraging what they describe as green data center technologies and direct green power connection technologies, VNET and CATL intend to build a three-layer integrated compute-energy ecosystem.

The first layer consists of gigawatt-scale compute-energy facilities. The second is a distributed compute-energy network. The third layer is described as a zero-carbon token ecosystem.

The announcement did not elaborate on the specific technical mechanisms or timeline associated with any of the three layers, nor did it specify geographic targets for initial development beyond a reference to global ambitions.

The companies characterized the partnership as deepening what they called compute-energy integration, a concept that seeks to synergistically combine computing infrastructure at scale with clean energy supply and management.

Executive Commentary Points to Complementary Strengths

Josh Sheng Chen, Founder and Executive Chairperson of VNET, commented on the agreement in the announcement. "By combining our complementary strengths and deepening cooperation across technology, infrastructure and supply chains, we will jointly advance innovation in integrated compute-energy systems," Chen said. "Together, we aim to contribute to the next generation of digital energy infrastructure in the intelligent era."

The statement underscores the breadth of the intended cooperation, which, according to the announcement, spans technology development, physical infrastructure buildout, and supply chain coordination between the two organizations.

CATL's Role as a Zero-Carbon Technology Provider

CATL is described in the announcement as a global leader in zero-carbon new energy technology. The company's involvement in the partnership is framed around its capacity to provide the energy technology layer of the combined initiative, complementing VNET's established role in data center construction and operations.

VNET's existing services include internet data center hosting, cloud services, and business virtual private network services. The company's infrastructure allows enterprise customers to locate servers and equipment in its data centers and connect to China's internet backbone.

That existing footprint forms the operational base from which VNET is seeking to expand into the integrated energy and compute model outlined in the new agreement.

Agreement Leaves Room for Further Negotiation

The announcement makes clear that the strategic cooperation agreement represents an early-stage framework rather than a fully executed operational plan. VNET explicitly flagged in its safe harbor statement that the risks associated with the announcement include the implementation of the contemplated cooperation, the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements for specific cooperation projects, and uncertainty around the timing, scope, and anticipated benefits of the partnership.

In other words, while the strategic cooperation agreement has been signed, the specific projects that will flow from it remain subject to further negotiation and the execution of additional definitive agreements.

The announcement did not disclose financial terms associated with the cooperation agreement, nor did it identify specific capital commitments from either party at this stage.

Broader Context: Data Centers and Energy Demands

The partnership reflects growing convergence between the data center industry and the energy sector, driven in large part by the substantial power demands of large-scale computing infrastructure, including facilities designed to support artificial intelligence workloads.

VNET's framing of the deal around the concept of an intelligent era suggests that AI infrastructure demand is among the forces motivating the company's push toward tighter integration with energy supply chains and zero-carbon power sources.

CATL's participation positions the battery and new energy technology manufacturer as a potential infrastructure partner for data center operators seeking to address both the scale and the carbon footprint of their power consumption, though the announcement did not specify which CATL product lines or technologies would be deployed under the cooperation framework.

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