Battery Manufacturer to Build $1.4 Billion Assembly Plant in North Carolina
New factory is expected to employ more than 1,000 people.
KINGSBORO, NC—Natron Energy Inc., a manufacturer of sodium-ion batteries, is investing $1.4 billion to build a new “gigafactory” here.
At full capacity, the 1.2 million square foot factory is expected to employ more than 1,000 people and produce 24 gigawatts of sodium-ion batteries annually. The facility will enable Natron to increase its current production capacity by a factor of 40. In April, Natron began production of sodium-ion batteries at its first commercial-scale factory in Holland, MI.
Natron’s batteries are the only UL-listed sodium-ion batteries on the market. The batteries are used in various applications, including data centers, electric vehicles, charging stations, microgrids, and telecommunications.
The project will be facilitated in part by a Job Development Investment Grant approved by the North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $3.4 billion.
“This facility advances Natron Energy’s position as the leader of the next battery revolution,” said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of the company. “Once operational, the facility will accelerate Natron’s growth trajectory, allowing us to capitalize on the growing demand for efficient, safe, and reliable sodium-ion battery energy storage.”
Natron’s patented Prussian blue electrodes store and transfer sodium-ions faster, and with lower internal resistance, than any other commercial battery. The company’s battery chemistry produces zero strain during charging and discharge. The technology offers 10 times faster cycling than traditional lithium-ion batteries, and the batteries have a cycle life of more than 50,000 cycles.
Natron’s supply chain requires zero lithium, cobalt, nickel, or other difficult-to-obtain minerals. Made from commodity materials, including aluminum, iron, manganese and sodium electrolyte, Natron’s cells, modules and batteries represent an environmentally and socially responsible alternative to lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.