Kamfanin jiragen sama na United Airlines a yau ya ba da sanarwar saka hannun jari mai mahimmanci a cikin Natron Energy, mai kera batir wanda batir sodium-ion ke da yuwuwar taimakawa United ta samar da kayan aikin filin jirgin sama kamar tarakta na turawa da kuma ayyukan da ke bakin kofa. United ta saka jari mai yawa a cikin kamfanoni masu haɓaka fasaha don rage hayaƙin jiragen sama, amma Natron shine farkon wanda ke da yuwuwar rage sawun iskar gas daga ayyukan United.
“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. United is looking forward to future opportunities to work with our airport partners on sustainable technology initiatives.”
United tana da kayan aikin ƙasa sama da 12,000 a duk ayyukanta, waɗanda kusan kashi ɗaya bisa uku na wutar lantarki a halin yanzu. Ana iya amfani da batura Natron don tallafawa yawan amfani, gami da:
• Charging electric ground equipment
• Charging anticipated future electric aircraft such as electric air taxis
• Allowing airport operations to manage electricity demand
• Greatly improving resiliency related to inclement weather
“Natron’s sodium-ion batteries will help the aviation industry achieve its decarbonization and EV goals,” said Colin Wessells, CEO of Natron Energy. “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.”
Batirin sodium-ion yana ƙunshe da abubuwa da yawa waɗanda ke bambanta su da fasahar baturi. Baya ga ingantacciyar fitarwa da rayuwar zagayowar fiye da takwarorinsu na lithium, gwajin da sabis na gwaji mai zaman kansa ya yi ya nuna waɗannan batura ba za su iya ƙonewa ba, muhimmin kariya ga babban amfani da ƙarfin da za a buƙaci don wasu ayyuka. Ma'adinan da ake amfani da su a cikin batir sodium-ion suna da yawa a duniya kuma ana samun su cikin sauƙi, sabanin lithium wanda ke da ƙarancin wadata tare da buƙatar da ake sa ran zai ninka sau uku nan da 2025.
Natron plans to use the funds to accelerate production at its manufacturing facility in Holland, Michigan, where it will scale operations to begin mass production of UL-listed sodium-ion batteries in 2023.
