Multi-day iron-air battery a ‘breakthrough’ in energy storage

Form Energy's multi-day iron-air battery technology
Form Energy's multi-day iron-air battery technology

Boston startup Form Energy has secured $270 million funding for the development of its multi-day iron-air battery, which is being called a breakthrough in energy storage, PV Magazine reports.

Solar and wind power are variable in their productive hours, with multi-day weather events impacting output. Therefore, multi-day storage that is cost effective is important in grid reliability.

In response to this, Boston startup Form Energy has developed an iron-air battery it says can deliver renewables-sourced electricity for 100 hours at system costs competitive with conventional power plants. At full-scale production, Form Energy said the modules would deliver electricity at a tenth of the cost of lithium-ion batteries.

Related article: Funding boost for advanced lithium-ion battery manufacturing

The iron-air battery is composed of cells filled with thousands of iron pellets that are exposed to air and create rust. The oxygen is then removed, reverting the rust to iron. Controlling this process allows the battery to be charged and discharged.

The additional funding secured for the project will supply the iron materials needed for the battery system production. Form Energy said it intends to source its iron domestically, manufacturing the batteries near where the iron was sourced.

The battery’s first project is a 1MW installation with Minnesota-based utility Great River Energy, located near the American Iron Range. Form Energy said it expects to have a 300MW, 500-module facility active at a Great River Energy power plant by 2023.

Form Energy CEO and co-founder Mateo Jaramillo said, “We conducted a broad review of available technologies and have reinvented the iron-air battery to optimise it for multi-day energy storage for the electric grid. With this technology, we are tackling the biggest barrier to deep decarbonisation: making renewable energy available when and where it’s needed, even during multiple days of extreme weather or grid outages.”

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