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US based sodium-ion battery startup, Natron Energy, has announced its intentions to establish a 24GWh gigafactory in North Carolina. Set to be the US’ first large scale sodium-ion facility, it will target commercial and industrial markets most notably storage in data centres, however timelines and funding are still yet to be announced.
Natron’s second facility
Earlier in 2024, Natron opened its first manufacturing facility in Michigan, with a full production capacity of 600 MWh of batteries per year. This move aligns with the growing global interest in sodium-ion technology and represents an opportunity for the US to build a battery supply chain independent of China.
Funding efforts
Natron is seeking up to USD50 million in grant funding from the Job Development Investment Grant and the North Carolina Megasite Readiness Program. To date, the company has raised over USD318 million, including USD189 million in its most recent funding round in January. However, additional fundraising will be necessary to initiate its projects.
Target market and technology
Natron’s technology is primarily used in energy storage, with a strong focus on the expanding data centre sector. The company also plans to target other areas such as mobility, EV fast charging, microgrids, and telecoms.
The company currently offers three products aimed at small-scale energy storage: the BluePack™ Critical Power Battery, BlueRack™ 250 Battery Cabinet, and the BlueTray™ 4000. These products all use Prussian Blue Analogue electrodes, made from iron and manganese or pure manganese blends, and are supported by a fully US based supply chain.
Natron’s sodium-ion technology offers an energy density of up to 50 Wh/l, significantly lower than the up to 300 Wh/l typical of lithium-ion batteries. However, it compensates this with a longer cycle life and faster charging times.
The sodium-ion battery industry
Globally, only a handful of companies outside of China have announced sodium-ion technologies. Among them, Northvolt introduced its sodium-ion chemistry in late 2023, though its progress is uncertain due to financial difficulties. Other notable players include Altris, Peak Energy and Tiamat, however Natron stands out as the only company with commercial-scale production capabilities.
In contrast, China’s sodium-ion market has developed rapidly, with sodium-ion batteries already being used in vehicles and storage facilities, with the world’s largest sodium-ion energy storage facility recently coming online.
Rho Motion’s Evaluation, competing with lithium-ion technologies
Sodium-ion batteries present a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion technology, benefiting from more abundant materials and a domestic supply chain. However, the cost advantage has diminished recently due to falling raw material and battery prices. One area where sodium-ion batteries excel is in temperature resilience; they perform well across a wide temperature range, ensuring safety and stability in high temperatures while maintaining functionality in low temperatures. This can eliminate the need for temperature control systems.
Nevertheless, lithium-ion, especially LFP chemistries in the storage sector are constantly improving and progressing. Natron’s sodium-ion technology will have to compete with them to maintain market share.
In the longer-term sodium-ion technology will likely operate as a complementary technology rather than a direct competitor with lithium-ion. Demand, especially for storage, is growing in such a way that there is room for potentially two dominant technologies in the industry.
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Image Credit: Natron Energy
Sources: Natron Energy
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