RCS - Draslovka a.s. - Draslovka partnership with Natron Energy

FTI ConsultingAnnouncement

06/03/2025 12:15

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RNS Number : 6363Z  Draslovka a.s.  06 March 2025

 

Draslovka expands into sodium-ion batteries in partnership with U.S.
Manufacturer Natron Energy

 

·      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.

 

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

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