Source: Rocky Mount Telegram
Natron Energy, a battery startup making an alternative to lithium-based batteries, announced plans to invest $1.4 billion into a manufacturing plant in Edgecombe County between Rocky Mount and Tarboro.
The California-based manufacturer promises to hire over 1,000 workers at its factory between 2028 and 2032, at an average wage of at least $64,700, according to The News & Observer.
“This is the best place for our new home,” stated Colin Wessell, Natron’s founder and co-CEO, during a celebratory event in Tarboro. “We choose to build here, we choose to grow here for decades to come.”
Natron signed onto an incentives package through the North Carolina grant program, which helps new and expanding businesses offset the cost of locating a facility in the state.
According to WHQR, the agreement between Natron and the grant program authorizes the potential reimbursement of up to $21.7 million over 12 years to the energy company. Over that period, the battery factory is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $3.4 billion.
“North Carolina is becoming the heart of the booming Battery Belt,” stated Gov. Roy Cooper, during an event at Edgecombe Community College. “And this emerging clean energy economy means more good paying jobs in our state and more money in the pockets of families across eastern North Carolina.”
Since 2021, North Carolina has awarded incentives to several lithium-ion battery projects — including DAI Nippon Printing, Forge Nano, VinFast, and the 5,000-worker Toyota factory in Randolph County.
