United Airlines is investing in sodium-ion battery development
The US airline United Airlines has made a strategic investment in Natron Energy. However, United is not interested in electrifying its aircraft, instead focusing on the ground vehicles that travel for the airline.
Natron Energy is a US developer of sodium-ion batteries. United Airlines’ investment, of an undisclosed amount, comes primarily against the backdrop of electrifying the airline’s ground operations. United has more than 12,000 powered ground assets, about a third of which are currently electric.
The sodium-ion batteries could be used to support a range of applications, United said in the statement. These include charging electric ground equipment and anticipated future electric aircraft such as electric flying taxis, as well as for airport operations to manage electricity demand, it said.
Natron Energy plans to use the investment to accelerate production at its plant in Holland, Michigan, and to start mass production of Na-Ion batteries there in 2023. However, it is not clear from the announcement to what extent this is to happen.
“United Airlines Ventures was created to identify companies spearheading the next generation of innovative and emissions-reducing technology,” said Michael Leskinen, president of United Airline Ventures. “Out of the gate, we primarily focused on technology designed to help reduce carbon emissions from our airplanes. Natron’s cutting-edge sodium-ion batteries presented an ideal opportunity to both potentially expand our sustainability investment portfolio to our ground operations, and to help make our airport operations more resilient.”
Colin Wessells, CEO of Natron Energy, adds: “Our batteries provide the high power over short distances that ground service equipment needs, and unlike lithium-ion, Natron’s batteries are completely nonflammable and can be safely deployed into ground service operations.”
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