Planned facility in USA to produce 24 GW of sodium-ion battery capability annually
Natron Energy plans to build its first sodium-ion battery gigafactory in the United States to produce 24GW of sodium-ion batteries at full capacity. Natron’s sodium-ion batteries offer higher power density, more cycles and improved safety characteristics over other battery technologies.
The nearly 1.2 million sq. ft. facility will represent a total investment of nearly $1.4 billion from Natron Energy.
“This flagship manufacturing facility will dramatically accelerate our efforts to deliver sodium-ion batteries to customers who are hungry for safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy storage,” says Colin Wessells, Founder and co-CEO, Natron Energy. “After evaluating over 70 sites across 9 states, we found that North Carolina would make a good home for this project.”
The facility will enable a 40x scale-up of Natron’s current production capacity, accelerating the company’s technology commercialisation while supporting over 1,000 high-quality, local clean energy jobs at full operating capacity. Natron’s batteries are the only UL-listed sodium-ion batteries on the market currently, and will be delivered to a wide range of customer end markets in the industrial power sector, including data centres, mobility, EV fast charging, microgrids, and telecoms.
Natron claims that its Prussian blue electrodes store and transfer sodium-ions quickly and with low internal resistance. The battery chemistry presents zero strain during charging and discharge, with 10x faster cycling than traditional lithium-ion batteries, and with a 50,000+ cycle life. The supply chain requires zero lithium, cobalt, nickel, or other difficult-to-obtain minerals. Made from commodity materials including aluminum, iron, manganese, and sodium electrolyte, Natron claims its cells, modules, and batteries represent an environmentally and socially responsible alternative to lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
- UK manufacturing steps up to COVID-19 crisis - April 2, 2020
- Clustering Innovation - March 12, 2020
- A Global Monitor - March 6, 2020