Natron Energy is an American company based in

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Clare of Assisi, Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns i ...

, specializing in the development and production of

sodium-ion batteries A Sodium-ion battery (NIB, SIB, or Na-ion batty) is a rechargeable batteries, rechargeable battery that uses sodium ions (Na+) as Electric charge, charge carriers. In some cases, its Lithium-ion battery#Electrochemistry, working principle and Lit ...

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 Holland is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the West Michigan, western region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula, the city is si ...

, in 2024.

History

Natron Energy was founded in 2012 by Colin Wessells, then a Ph.D. student at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

, to develop sodium-ion batteries as a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. 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. The company began commercial production at its facility in Holland, Michigan, in May 2024, targeting applications in telecommunications, data centers, and industrial power systems. In August 2024, Natron announced plans for a $1.4 billion gigafactory in

Edgecombe County, North Carolina Edgecombe County ( or )Talk Like a Tarheel
, from the North Caro ...

, expected to create 1,000 jobs and produce 24 gigawatt-hours of sodium-ion batteries annually by 2028. The project is supported by federal incentives under the

Inflation Reduction Act The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is a United States federal law which aims to reduce the federal government budget deficit, lower prescription drug prices, and invest in domestic energy production while promoting clean energy. It was ...

Technology

Natron Energy’s sodium-ion batteries use

Prussian blue Prussian blue (also known as Berlin blue, Brandenburg blue, Parisian and Paris blue) is a dark blue pigment produced by oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide salts. It has the chemical formula . It consists of cations, where iron is in the oxidat ...

electrodes, offering advantages over lithium-ion batteries, including lower cost, abundant raw materials, and enhanced safety. 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. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries do not rely on scarce materials like cobalt or lithium, reducing supply chain risks.

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. The company has also received grants from the

U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear we ...

’s

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy ARPA-E, or Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy is an agency within the United States Department of Energy tasked with funding the research and development of advanced energy technologies. The goal of the agency is to improve U.S. economic ...

(ARPA-E) to support research and scale-up efforts.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Battery manufacturers 2012 establishments in California Energy companies of the United States Companies based in Santa Clara, California