Clariant and Natron join forces to usher in a new era of sodium ion mass production

On May 4, 2022, Clariant, a global leader in the low-voltage automotive battery industry, and Natron Energy, a leading sodium-ion battery manufacturer, reached a strategic agreement in Santa Clara, California, USA, to lead the world in mass production of sodium-ion batteries.

The factory is expected to officially mass-produce sodium-ion batteries in 2023. By then, Clariant's Meadowbrook International factory in Michigan, USA, will become the world's leading sodium-ion battery factory.There is no doubt that this partnership will make the United States the global leader in sodium-ion battery manufacturing.

Clariant's Meadowbrook International Plant: Natron sodium-ion battery capacity to reach 600 megawatts per year

Natron has spent 10 years continuously optimizing the chemical composition of sodium-ion batteries to enable mass production, and will launch the world's first UL-certified sodium-ion battery product in 2021.Multiple Fortune 500 companies have validated Natron's technology through independent testing and real-world applications.Most importantly, the sodium-ion battery developed by Natron does not contain lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, etc. that need to rely on overseas mining projects or relatively rare minerals. These materials are the key to the recent price fluctuations in the lithium-ion battery supply chain.Therefore, customers are confident that sodium-ion batteries can maintain a stable price system.In addition, Natron sodium-ion batteries also have the advantages of no thermal runaway, safeand non-flammableduring transportation and disposal .

At present, Natron sodium-ion batteries are mainly used in critical power systems, such as data centers and telecommunications networks.In the future, it may also be applied to electric vehicles and grid energy storage.

Because the same production tools and equipment are used to manufacture both sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, the similarity in production requirements allows Natron to directly utilize some of the existing lithium-ion equipment at the Cress International facility for sodium-ion battery manufacturing.This is undoubtedly a better choice than a new factory, which not only reduces costs, but also speeds up production.

"We are delighted to be working with Natron on this promising energy storage solution," said Craig Rigby, vicepresident of global technology at Clariant .There is huge potential in the process of demand. As a global leader in the battery industry, Clare is committed to sharing its experience in the emerging battery field and providing professional advice on advanced technology investment in large-scale manufacturing."

Under the agreement, these sodium-ion batteries and large battery modules, based on Natron's proprietary "Prussian blue" electrodes, will be produced at Clariant's existing facility in Holland, Michigan.The Cress Meadowbrook International facility is part of the ARRA project and has been producing lithium-ion batteries for automobiles for decades.

With the support of the SCALEUP project of ARPA-E under the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency, Natron will install and manufacture the new Natron sodium-ion battery assembly equipment at the Cress Meadowbrook International facility under the agreement. in order to mass-produce sodium-ion batteries for its customers in the industrial power market.

Colin Wessells, founder and CEO of Natron, said: "This project marks the beginning of a new era for Natron, where we have made a great leap from pure product development to mass production capability. The Research Projects Agency and Creesce are grateful for their continued support in making this project possible."