Natron Energy Starts Mass Production Of Sodium-Ion Batteries In USA
Seeking an alternative to lithium batteries, US experimental sodium-ion battery developer Natron Energy began preparing to mass produce its breakthrough sodium-ion battery two years ago, promising incredibly long life and ultra-fast charging. The launch of the production line took place not in 2023, but this year, but otherwise the company keeps its word – Natron batteries deliver a charge 10 times faster than lithium batteries, and their service life is at least 50 thousand cycles.
Of course, sodium-ion batteries also have a drawback – they are still inferior to lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy storage density. But sodium batteries are safer because they are non-flammable, environmentally friendly and less susceptible to price fluctuations due to geopolitical instability. Unlike the cobalt and nickel used in lithium-ion batteries, all components of Natron sodium batteries are manufactured in the USA.
Compared to the commonly used lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries have several advantages. In particular, the reserves of sodium on Earth exceed the reserves of lithium by 500-1000 times. In addition, sodium mining does not cause such serious damage to the environment. Finally, Natron sodium-ion batteries use widely available materials.
Natron Energy plans to increase the production of sodium-ion batteries up to several gigawatt-hours per year. Only then will it be possible to talk about the emergence of a truly convincing alternative to lithium.
