Energy

Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production

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Blue has become Natron Energy's signature color owing to the patented Prussian Blue electrons it uses for the fast, frequent transfer of sodium ions that underpin its claims of 10 times lithium-ion's cycling speeds and a 50,000-cycle lifespan
Natron Energy
Blue has become Natron Energy's signature color owing to the patented Prussian Blue electrons it uses for the fast, frequent transfer of sodium ions that underpin its claims of 10 times lithium-ion's cycling speeds and a 50,000-cycle lifespan
Natron Energy
Natron has begun production at its Holland, Michigan facility
Natron Energy
Natron is targeting industrial backup power applications with. products like the BlueRack 250 battery cabinet, designed to scale from a kilowatt to multi megawatts
Natron Energy
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Two years ago, sodium-ion battery pioneer Natron Energy was busy preparing its specially formulated sodium batteries for mass production. The company slipped a little past its 2023 kickoff plans, but it didn't fall too far behind as far as mass battery production goes. It officially commenced production of its rapid-charging, long-life lithium-free sodium batteries this week, bringing to market an intriguing new alternative in the energy storage game.

Not only is sodium somewhere between 500 to 1,000 times more abundant than lithium on the planet we call Earth, sourcing it doesn't necessitate the same type of earth-scarring extraction. Even moving beyond the sodium vs lithium surname comparison, Natron says its sodium-ion batteries are made entirely from abundantly available commodity materials that also include aluminum, iron and manganese.

Furthermore, the materials for Natron's sodium-ion chemistry can be procured through a reliable US-based domestic supply chain free from geopolitical disruption. The same cannot be said for common lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel.

Sodium-ion tech has received heightened interest in recent years as a more reliable, potentially cheaper energy storage medium. While its energy density lags behind lithium-ion, advantages such as faster cycling, longer lifespan and safer, non-flammable end use have made sodium-ion an attractive alternative, especially for stationary uses like data center and EV charger backup storage.

Founded in 2013, Natron has been one of the pioneers in this new wave of sodium-ion research and innovation. And while most sodium-ion designs remain in the laboratory, Natron has switched on one of the first major production operations globally. It celebrated the official production kick-off earlier this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Holland, Michigan manufacturing facility, calling it the first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the US.

"Sodium-ion batteries offer a unique alternative to lithium-ion, with higher power, faster recharge, longer lifecycle and a completely safe and stable chemistry," Natron founder and co-CEO Colin Wessells said at the event. "The electrification of our economy is dependent on the development and production of new, innovative energy storage solutions. We at Natron are proud to deliver such a battery without the use of conflict minerals or materials with questionable environmental impacts."

Natron has begun production at its Holland, Michigan facility
Natron Energy

Natron says its batteries charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion, a level of immediate charge/discharge capability that makes the batteries a prime contender for the ups and downs of backup power storage. Also helping in that use case is an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.

We haven't seen a weight-based energy density figure from Natron itself, but a 2022 article from Chemical & Engineering News put its sodium-ion batteries at 70 Wh/kg, around the very bottom of the sodium-ion energy density scale. That aligns well with the company's stationary-only business plan, as sodium-ion batteries being pursued for potential mobility use have more than double that density. CATL showed a 160 Wh/kg sodium-ion battery in 2021 and has plans to increase that density over 200 Wh/kg to better meet the needs of electric vehicles.

Natron's plans call for the Holland facility to crank production up to 600 megawatts annually at full tilt, serving as a model for future gigawatt-scale facilities. In the two years since we last looked at Natron's plans, AI has grown a whole lot more power-hungry so it's not surprising the company's initial target is AI data storage centers, where it's fast-cycling batteries could become an essential power management tool. It plans to begin the first deliveries in June.

Natron intends to expand its focus to other industrial power markets in the future, mentioning EV fast-charging and telecommunications as targets.

Source: Natron

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17 comments
clay
It's a great battery tech, but it needs to me **accessible** to normal people, not just datacenter builders and operators... not just EV recharging companies. There are a zillion Solar and backup DIYers and small businesses out there. Make this directly accessible to them.
paul314
I want this for my UPS's *now*. Because the current options are lead-acid, which has the potential toxic issue and needs replacement every couple of years, and lithium, which might only need replacement every 5 years but have to be sized about 3x as big to cover the discharge rate for anything but the tiniest computers. (Of course, the initial price tag of sodium would probably put me off even if it's cheaper in the long run.)
vince
IF they perfect upwards of 250 Wh/kg suitable for LiON replacement in EV's then a car will be a lifetime purchase. Buy one for 100 years of usage so take out a massive loan at age 16 and buy what you can dream of and keep it for life. Imagine the depreciation would be almost NIL.
DaaBoss
Referencing the relative energy density ranges of lithium based storage devices and technology would help most of us that don't follow the nuances of this technology. Stating the approximate pricing model comparisons would also help. For instance, I just read yesterday that the starting price for EV replacements, required after about 8 years, started at about $15,000. Clearly at those prices, only early adopters and other subsidized solutions (by other people's money) will ever be economically feasible.
TechGazer
Like paul314, I'd like one of these batteries to replace my small-solar lead-acid ones that will need replacing sometime. The problem is that offering such a product for individuals at a reasonable price means that big customers will try to scoop them up. Raspberry Pi computers have been hard to get, since commercial customers use methods to pretend to be individuals, buying up whatever is available. I suppose we'll have to wait for more production capacity.
moreover
I've been holding off of a home battery for my solar PV so far despite big incentives, and the reason is the fast pace of non lithium battery development. Since weight is not a big factor for home batteries, especially since many now use modular designs, I'd rather wait for something that checks the boxes on safety and cycle life.
minivini
A little disappointed in the weight prospect, but very excited by the overall potential advantages!
Karmudjun
Thanks for the slightly informative article CC. So Natron has it's proof of concept manufacturing plant in operation - with the previous estimates of 70 Wh/kg in it's product ~ more or less. Now in China, CATL is bragging about 160 Wh/kg and shooting for 200 Wh/kg in the future. Looking at Natron's website, you see the proprietary estimations (WAGs?) of full recharge time in 5-15 minutes versus 120-240 minutes for Lithium. Yet their offerings are for large data centers or for the battery backup for EV charging in high end garage chargers. Yeah, but no price structure, not factual Wh/kg, and only an estimate of 50K cycle lifespan. Yep, highly informative....except for the lacking facts. I have to say Loz did a more informative blurb back in 2022.
spyinthesky
I seem to have read about early EV usage being combining them with Lithium batteries so you get the best of both worlds or at least a worthwhile compromise between cost, power, range and speedy recharging.
guzmanchinky
I love hearing about new battery tech moving the world forward. Good riddance to (most) fossil fuels!