Mercuria CSR report 2023 - Flipbook - Page 52
PARTNER PROFILE 2023
NATRON ENERGY
Battery energy storage systems, California, USA
As the world electrifies to combat climate change, Natron Energy is helping industries transform
the way they use battery energy for critical applications and processes via its revolutionary
Sodium Ion battery technology.
Natron Energy was founded by Stanford PhD student Colin Wessells in 2012. His vision to
build a company to deliver ultra-safe, high-power batteries started in a garage in Palo Alto.
There have been four major battery chemistries to achieve commercial success in the last 100
years. Natron is the fifth.
After countless hours of development with an ever-expanding team of scientists and
engineers, Natron now operates a state-of-the-art pilot production line for Sodium Ion
batteries in Santa Clara, California.
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT NATRON
BATTERIES
WHICH INDUSTRIES WILL BENEFIT MOST
FROM NATRON BATTERIES?
Natron batteries provide 10x the cycle life and
2x the power of comparable lithium-ion
technologies. They are capable of 0%-99%
recharge in less than 15 minutes, all while being
non-flammable and posing no thermal runaway
risk.
Both existing and emerging markets will benefit
from Natron batteries; from data center UPS
systems to grid firming for renewable energy
generation, Natron’s high-power capabilities
make them the lowest-cost option for
applications that require high-power discharge.
These applications include peak shaving for EV
fast charging stations, microgrids, and
supporting intermittent renewable energy
generation.
Natron batteries contain no copper, cobalt, or
lithium, making them free from the supply chain
constraints and difficult mining practices
associated with lithium-ion batteries. This is
possible because of the use of Prussian blue
materials in the anode and cathode, which
allows for the rapid transfer of sodium-ions
without excessively degrading the cell.
Moreover, Natron’s manufacturing process
uses existing industry-standard lithium-ion
equipment and processes, and raw materials
that are already available at-scale, making the
path to mass–production readily accessible.
Exceptionally high cycle-life and faster
recharge give Natron a clear advantage over
existing energy storage technologies across
these applications.
For an EV fast-charging station, having a
Natron battery supply power for the first few
minutes of a charging session means the
station avoids demand charges for this spiky
electricity consumption, and avoids added
stress on the grid.
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