US sodium-ion battery firm Natron Energy has ceased trading, putting an end to its two domestic gigafactories. The news points to the challenges for battery chemistries hoping to compete with LFP, analysts told Energy-Storage.news.

Two energy storage topics appeared to come up in conversation more than any other at the first day of RE+: US domestic content and the race for energy density increases.

With RE+ bringing thousands of energy storage professionals to Las Vegas this week, here are some announcements that have hit the Energy-Storage.news desk.

South Korean company SK On has entered the US BESS market with LFP batteries, securing a supply contract with Flatiron Energy Development.

Bahraini, Chinese, Egyptian and Emirati groups have agreed to develop a new manufacturing facility in Egypt.

Three companies, Energy Vault, Richardson Electronics, and Fluence, have made strategic moves to create a secure BESS equipment supply chain.

Global energy storage technology and energy software services provider Fluence and ACE Engineering have opened a new automated battery storage manufacturing facility in Vietnam’s Bac Giang Province.

FlexGen “felt compelled to step up” and ensure the continuity of operation of the more than 11GWh of assets deployed by acquisition target Powin.

Fluence expects to hit the lower end of its previously issued revenue guidance for the 2025 financial year due to delays in ramping up at US production sites.

The annual capacity of battery cell manufacturing for ESS in the US looks set to reach 50GWh by the end of next year, based on recent company announcements.