United Airlines Invests in Battery Maker Natron Energy
Natron Energy's batteries are considered to have high performance compared to lithium batteries in terms of charging speed and safety. United becomes the first major airline to invest in a battery manufacturer.
United Airlines. Photo: Ido Wachtel United Airlines announced a strategic capital investment in the battery company Natron Energy. United believes the company has the potential to assist them in electric charging for their ground equipment at the airport, like Push Back Tractors.
United has already made many investments in companies developing technology to reduce aircraft emissions. However, they emphasize "Natron Energy is the first company with the potential to reduce greenhouse gases from the company's ground operations."
"United Airlines Ventures was created to identify companies leading the next generation of innovative, emission-reducing technology," said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. "We have mainly focused on technology aimed at helping reduce carbon emissions from our aircraft. Natron Energy's new sodium-ion batteries presented an ideal opportunity to both expand our sustainability investment portfolio to our ground operations and help make our airport activities more resilient. United looks forward to future opportunities to work with airport partners on sustainable technology initiatives."
United notes that the company has more than 12,000 pieces of motorized ground equipment throughout its operations, about a third of which are electric today.
Natron's batteries could be deployed to support several uses, including:
Charging electric ground equipment
Charging future expected electric aircraft
Allowing airports to manage electricity demand
Significantly improving resilience related to severe weather
"Natron's sodium-ion batteries will help the aviation industry meet its carbon and electric goals," said Colin Wessels, CEO of Natron Energy. "Our batteries provide the high power for short distances that ground service equipment needs, and unlike lithium-ion, Natron's batteries are completely non-flammable and can be safely deployed for ground service operations."