- Prussian blue material manufactured by Draslovka to become crucial part of Natron's sodium-ion battery supply chain
- New reference facility to be designed and built in Kolin to supply Natron's production
- Marks the latest step in the transformation of Draslovka's revenue streams
Draslovka a.s., ("Draslovka" or the "Company") a global provider of sustainability-led technologies, reagents and services for mining and the energy transition, is pleased to announce it has agreed to a research and development ("R&D") partnership with Natron Energy, Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of sodium-ion batteries, as its core partner in the development, commercialisation and large-scale production of high-quality Prussian blue material required for its proprietary sodium-ion battery technologies.
The partnership agreement envisages a layered scope of co-operation across Draslovka's areas of expertise, fully utilising the Company's leading research, production and logistics capabilities on both sides of the Atlantic.
Taking advantage of the immediately available infrastructure offered by its world-class chemical plant in Kolin, Czech Republic, Draslovka has obtained the necessary permits and is well on its way to designing and constructing a new reference production facility for the project. The partnership will leverage Draslovka's deep expertise in proprietary chemistry manufacturing to supply high-quality Prussian blue materials that are crucial for Natron's advanced sodium-ion battery design, which is ideal for short-term energy storage applications, such as data centres. The facility will serve as a blueprint to expand Draslovka's operations in the U.S. and enable Natron's mission of scaling sodium-ion battery production to meet soaring demand, with the development of a large-scale facility expected to begin prior to the completion of the reference facility in Kolin.
Starting in 2026, the new Kolin facility is expected to supply Natron with Prussian blue materials to double Natron's battery manufacturing capacity. The construction of the new plant in Kolin marks another positive milestone in Draslovka's business strategy, which focuses on value-add proprietary technologies and top-quality product offerings.
Using sustainable solutions to address the shortage of critical raw materials is an integral part of Draslovka's business model. Through its exclusive partnership with Natron, Draslovka's chemistry will directly assist in the development of Natron's supply chain without reliance on critical minerals from high-risk or potentially unstable jurisdictions. This collaboration with Natron to advance an economically competitive and sustainable industry of the future represents an important new direction for Draslovka as it seeks to bolster global battery supply chain security.
Pavel Bruzek, CEO of Draslovka, commented: "We are excited to partner with Natron on this project which aims to promote greater standards for sustainability and help pioneer sodium-ion batteries as a real, economically viable option for energy storage, especially short-term energy reserves and data centres. The commercial agreement with Natron is an endorsement of Draslovka's chemical expertise which makes this project possible. This partnership represents the latest step in the transformation of our revenue streams towards value-add proprietary technologies and sustainable solutions for global industry.
While today we are announcing a new plant at our EU location, we are already considering concrete options to build capability in the U.S. Additionally, we are evaluating opportunities for new production plants elsewhere in the U.S. to fully capitalise on the home-grown technological expertise we have at our flagship plant and as further demand for sodium-ion batteries is unlocked.
This agreement marks the beginning of a long-term global partnership with Natron that will enable a shorter and more resilient supply chain for large scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the US and Europe."
Martin Viecha, Draslovka Advisory Board Member and former Vice President of Investor Relations at Tesla, commented: "I believe a full transition to sustainable energy is both critical and irreversible. This shift will necessitate a global increase in battery production by more than tenfold, potentially much more, as worldwide energy demands continue to rise. For such a dramatic change, lithium-ion batteries should not remain the sole option; sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a valid alternative for specific applications. Draslovka's expertise and experience align perfectly with the future development of sodium-ion batteries."
Wendell Brooks, CEO of Natron, added: "We are pleased to be joining forces with Draslovka on this exciting venture in order to pursue our shared interest of developing sustainable and safe technologies that outperform current solutions.
The battery industry is growing rapidly, and we are scaling our solutions as sodium-ion offers many advantages relative to lithium-ion technology for a wide range of customer use-cases, including data centres to support the explosive growth of AI. As we benefit from increasing market demand, we look forward to pioneering our technology with the support of Draslovka's unique and specialised expertise."
About Draslovka
Draslovka a.s. ('Draslovka') is a chemical technologies, products and services company creating value and improving sustainability in several industries, including mining, agriculture and manufacturing. Today, Draslovka is best known as one of the world's largest producers of sodium cyanide, a chemical vital for gold mining however its most important contribution to the sector is its Glycine Leaching Technology ('GLT'), the company's proprietary technology that leaches metals (including gold, copper, nickel and cobalt) in a more sustainable and economic manner. Draslovka also manufactures other specialist chemicals and reagents and provides class-leading chemical application services to the mining and pest control industries as well as AI-enabled support services.
About Natron
Natron Energy manufactures sodium-ion battery products based on a unique and patented Prussian blue electrode chemistry for a wide variety of industrial power applications ranging from critical backup power systems for AI data centres to EV fast charging and system hybridization. Natron's mission is to transform critical power, industrial, and grid energy storage markets by providing customers with batteries that offer higher power density, faster recharge, and a significantly longer cycle life than incumbent technologies. Natron's safe, sustainable products are UL 1973 listed, are not susceptible to thermal runaway, and do not use conflict minerals. Learn more about Natron and its sodium-ion technology at Natron.energy.
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Contacts:
Media Enquiries:
Draslovka Holding a.s.
Erik Svamberk
Head of Public Affairs
Tel: +420 723 893 400
Email: erik.svamberk@draslovka.com
FTI Consulting
Ariadna Peretz Viktor Pomichal
Tel: +44 (0) 7890 417764
Email: draslovka@fticonsulting.com
Natron Energy
Natron@icrinc.com
