BUFFALO, NY – September 3, 2025 – Natrion, a leading U.S.-based battery technology company, today announced the official opening of its new manufacturing site in Cheektowaga, New York. In July, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Board of Trustees approved $1.3 million in Western New York Power Proceeds funding to support the project that will create 19 jobs. The new site will bring to bear new separator production volume capable of servicing 500 MWh of lithium-ion batteries per year. Natrion is already generating 250,000 square meters of annual capacity throughput with its first commissioned line at the site.
“Our new Buffalo facility is a testament to our commitment to domestic battery manufacturing and innovation,” said Alex Kosyakov, CEO of Natrion. “The strategic location in Western New York provides us with access to a skilled workforce and a robust industrial ecosystem, and the support from the New York Power Authority is instrumental in accelerating our growth and our mission to deliver safe, high-performance battery solutions.”
The $1.3 million grant from the New York Power Authority is a key component of this expansion, underscoring the state’s commitment to fostering advanced manufacturing. The funds will be used to equip the new facility and scale up production capabilities for Natrion’s Active Separator product. Critically, Natrion’s Active Separator supports domestic American battery builders in maintaining 45X eligibility under new federal legislation while simultaneously enhancing the low-temperature, fast-charging, and energy density performance of cells.
In conjunction with the new facility opening, Natrion is pleased to announce the hiring of Ashish Bhandari as its new Vice President of Operations. Bhandari, who will manage the Buffalo plant, brings over a decade of experience in manufacturing excellence to Natrion’s leadership. In his prior roles, Ashish led battery inerting and recycling operations at Tesla's gigascale facility in Reno, Nevada. He also held manufacturing management roles at General Motors — including within its fuel cell division in Rochester, New York. Bhandari’s expertise will be critical in overseeing the new facility's operations and ensuring an efficient scale-up of production.
“Ashish’s extensive background at both Tesla and GM makes him the ideal leader to spearhead operations at our new plant,” Kosyakov added. “His experience in plant efficiency, supply chain robustness, and operational excellence across the auto and battery sectors is exactly what we need to drive Natrion's next phase of growth.”
About Natrion
Natrion is a battery materials pioneer, developing critical advanced components necessary to secure our energy future. The company’s flagship Active Separator enables safer, more resilient, and higher energy density batteries while being fully made in America. Natrion is partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense, marquee commercial organizations including LG Energy Solution, and leading research and academic institutions. Investors backing Natrion include CIRI Ventures, Mark Cuban, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, and Tamarack Global. The company operates out of Illinois and New York.
