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Draslovka, through its US-based subsidiary Draslovka Mining, is set to acquire Natron Energy’s intellectual property (IP) for its Prussian Blue Analogue (PBA) and Prussian White Analogy (PWA) sodium-ion battery technology.
The IPs cover a portfolio which includes active-material synthesis, electrodes, electrolytes, cell design and complete battery systems. Covoro will acquire all issued and pending patents, trademarks and manufacturing know-how, with protection extending into the mid-2040s.
Jackson Briggs, Covoro’s business development manager, says sodium-ion technology is most important in applications where consistent performance is needed across a wide temperature range. “That includes data centers, grid storage and services, industrial fleets, telecoms, rail, aviation and other applications.”
Western development
The privately-held Czech company is the world’s largest producer of sodium cyanide, a chemical used to extract gold and silver from ores, and in other manufacturing applications. In January, the company signed an agreement with Altris aimed at establishing Europe's first industrial-scale sodium-ion cathode supply chain.
Through acquiring this IP, Draslovka plans to extend that existing commercial partnership to further increase production, inside of a supply chain that is built on “Western-available inputs and Western-held intellectual property.”
“The missing piece of the Western battery value chain has been the materials, and that piece now sits fully within Draslovka Group,” said Pavel Brůžek, Draslovka’s CEO. “That means Draslovka can take this technology to market directly, and we will scale it with the partners who are ready to move at our pace.”