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Natron Energy
U.S. sodium-ion battery manufacturer

Natron Energy is an American company based in Santa Clara, California, specializing in the development and production of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage applications, such as data centers and industrial systems. Founded in 2012, Natron was the first U.S. company to commercially produce sodium-ion batteries, beginning manufacturing in Holland, Michigan, in 2024.

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History

Natron Energy was founded in 2012 by Colin Wessells, then a Ph.D. student at Stanford University, to develop sodium-ion batteries as a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.4 In 2020, Natron’s sodium-ion battery became the first to meet the **UL 1973** safety standard for energy storage systems, enabling commercial deployment in data centers.5 The company began commercial production at its facility in Holland, Michigan, in May 2024, targeting applications in telecommunications, data centers, and industrial power systems.6

In August 2024, Natron announced plans for a $1.4 billion gigafactory in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, expected to create 1,000 jobs and produce 24 gigawatt-hours of sodium-ion batteries annually by 2028.78 The project is supported by federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Technology

Natron Energy’s sodium-ion batteries use Prussian blue electrodes, offering advantages over lithium-ion batteries, including lower cost, abundant raw materials, and enhanced safety.9 The company’s BluePack Critical Power Battery is designed for rapid charging (full charge in 15 minutes) and durability (over 50,000 deep discharge cycles), making it suitable for high-power applications like data centers and microgrids.10 Unlike lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries do not rely on scarce materials like cobalt or lithium, reducing supply chain risks.11

Funding

As of September 2024, Natron Energy has raised approximately $200 million in funding from investors, including Chevron Technology Ventures, United Airlines Ventures, and Aramco Ventures.1213 The company has also received grants from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to support research and scale-up efforts.14

References

  1. Szondy, David (May 2, 2024). "Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production". New Atlas. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://newatlas.com/energy/natron-sodium-ion-battery-production-startt/ ↩

  2. Szondy, David (May 2, 2024). "Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production". New Atlas. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://newatlas.com/energy/natron-sodium-ion-battery-production-startt/ ↩

  3. Mughees, N. (June 24, 2024). "Natron Energy starts commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries". Charged EVs. Retrieved May 11, 2025. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/natron-energy-starts-commercial-scale-production-of-sodium-ion-batteries/ ↩

  4. LeVine, Steve (February 3, 2025). "The Electric: Why This Next-Gen Battery Startup Isn't Afraid of DeepSeek". The Information. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-electric-why-this-next-gen-battery-startup-isnt-afraid-of-deepseek ↩

  5. "UL 1973 Standard for Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Applications". TÜV SÜD. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://www.tuvsud.com/en-us/services/testing/energy-storage/ul-1973 ↩

  6. Mughees, N. (June 24, 2024). "Natron Energy starts commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries". Charged EVs. Retrieved May 11, 2025. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/natron-energy-starts-commercial-scale-production-of-sodium-ion-batteries/ ↩

  7. "Natron Energy Announces Plans for $1.4 Billion Giga-Scale Sodium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Facility in North Carolina". Business Wire. August 15, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240815622233/en/Natron-Energy-Announces-Plans-for-1.4-Billion-Giga-Scale-Sodium-Ion-Battery-Manufacturing-Facility-in-North-Carolina ↩

  8. Samora, Sara (August 27, 2024). "Natron Energy to build $1.4B sodium-ion battery plant in North Carolina". Utility Dive. Retrieved May 11, 2025. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/natron-energy-1-4-b-sodium-ion-battery-factory-kingsboro-north-carolina/725211/ ↩

  9. LeVine, Steve (February 3, 2025). "The Electric: Why This Next-Gen Battery Startup Isn't Afraid of DeepSeek". The Information. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-electric-why-this-next-gen-battery-startup-isnt-afraid-of-deepseek ↩

  10. Murray, Cameron (April 30, 2024). "Natron Energy starts manufacturing '50,000+ cycle-life' sodium-ion batteries at Michigan factory". Energy-Storage.News. Retrieved May 11, 2025. https://www.energy-storage.news/natron-energy-starts-manufacturing-50000-cycle-life-sodium-ion-batteries-at-michigan-factory/ ↩

  11. Mughees, N. (June 24, 2024). "Natron Energy starts commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries". Charged EVs. Retrieved May 11, 2025. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/natron-energy-starts-commercial-scale-production-of-sodium-ion-batteries/ ↩

  12. "Natron Energy Announces Plans for $1.4 Billion Giga-Scale Sodium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Facility in North Carolina". Business Wire. August 15, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240815622233/en/Natron-Energy-Announces-Plans-for-1.4-Billion-Giga-Scale-Sodium-Ion-Battery-Manufacturing-Facility-in-North-Carolina ↩

  13. LeVine, Steve (February 3, 2025). "The Electric: Why This Next-Gen Battery Startup Isn't Afraid of DeepSeek". The Information. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-electric-why-this-next-gen-battery-startup-isnt-afraid-of-deepseek ↩

  14. "Natron Energy - SCALEUP 2019". ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved May 9, 2025. https://arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/scaleup/scaleup-2019/natron-energy ↩