Rail-Served Sodium-Ion Battery Plant Coming to North Carolina
Development of the facility was announced Aug. 15 following the approval of a 12-year-term state Job Development Investment Grant. North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR), through its economic development program, will invest $750,000 to offset design and construction costs of a new rail spur, which it said will “increase rail activity by approximately 600 railcars annually.” Natron Energy’s new 1.2 million square-foot facility will be located at the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite and is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs.
Additional project partners include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Department of Commerce, North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, North Carolina Community College System, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, CSX, Dominion Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Edgecombe Community College, Edgecombe County, and Carolinas Gateway Partnership.
“This flagship manufacturing facility will dramatically accelerate our efforts to deliver sodium-ion batteries to customers who are hungry for safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy storage solutions,” commented Colin Wessells, Founder and co-CEO, Natron Energy, which is said to manufacture sodium-ion battery products based on a patented Prussian blue electrode chemistry for industrial power applications, including backup power systems for AI data centers, military and defense uses, and powering electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations. “After evaluating over 70 sites across nine states, we found that North Carolina, with its leadership in the clean energy revolution, would make the perfect home for this project.”
“North Carolina has quickly become the heart of a rapidly growing network of battery manufacturers and their suppliers, which is turbocharging our state’s economy,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said. “I’m pleased to see a cutting-edge company like Natron Energy select one of our state’s premier megasites where I know they’ll thrive, thanks to North Carolina’s continued investments in infrastructure and workforce training systems.”
“Natron Energy is a perfect partner for a region primed to welcome an innovative industry leader of this magnitude and the jobs and investments that come with it,” said Trish Haver, Chief Commercial Officer for NCRR, which owns and manages a 317-mile rail corridor. “A project of this size will have a lasting positive impact on the region and state. Their commitment to sodium ion technology is not only a win for our economy but also a significant step forward in the global push for sustainable energy solutions. We’re proud to be a part of it.”
The NCRR Invests economic development program, since its 2016 launch, has committed more than $18 million of NCRR’s private revenue, resulting in new or expanded locations of 18 manufacturing facilities and the creation of more than 11,800 new jobs in North Carolina, according to NCRR. Earlier this year, NCRR Invests reported its support for Siemens Energy’s expansion in Charlotte and the growth of Innovative Construction Group, a subsidiary of PulteGroup, in Siler City. Natron Energy’s factory marks its third major investment announcement of 2024, with more planned, NCRR said.
