| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy storage, Electronics |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Colin Wessells |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Wendell Brooks (CEO) |
| Products | Sodium-ion batteries |
| Website | natron |
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. [1] Founded in 2012, Natron was the first U.S. company to commercially produce sodium-ion batteries, beginning manufacturing in Holland, Michigan, in 2024. [1] [2]
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. [3] 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. [4] The company began commercial production at its facility in Holland, Michigan, in May 2024, targeting applications in telecommunications, data centers, and industrial power systems. [2]
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. [5] [6] The project is supported by federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.
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. [3] 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. [7] Unlike lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries do not rely on scarce materials like cobalt or lithium, reducing supply chain risks. [2]
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. [5] [3] 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. [8]