Iron-Air Batteries Could Be Safer, Cheaper And More Practical Than Lithium-ion

Large battery farms can help renewable energy platforms such as solar and wind turbines maintain energy reliability and affordability. This could prove useful in nullifying the effects of varying multi-day and weather events. That’s why Form energy has announced an energy storage system and a partnership with ArcelorMittal.

The latter’s contribution includes an investment of $200 million Series D financing round of its XCarb innovation fund. ArcelorMittal is a world-leading steel and mining company, and with its help, Form energy has unveiled its rechargeable iron-air battery. It can deliver electricity for 100 hours at a similar cost to conventional power plants.

In addition to this, it also happens to cost 1/10th of that of ones made from lithium-ion. Unlike lithium, iron-based batteries are far safer, cheaper, and are one of the most abundant minerals on earth. It’s application includes to reliably and securely deliver electricity to the power grid all year round.

Credit: Form Energy

Principle behind This Battery Technology:

• The basic principle of operation is reversible rusting
• While discharging, the battery takes in oxygen from the air and uses it to convert iron metal to rust
• While charging, the application of an electrical current converts the rust back to iron and the battery breathes out oxygen

Form Energy says each battery is about the size of a washing machine. Each module is filled with water-based, non-flammable electrolyte, similar to that found in AA batteries. Inside the electrolyte are stacks of between 10 and 20 meter-scale cells. They include iron and air electrodes, which are responsible for the electrochemical reaction involved.

Energy storage facilities will consist of thousands of these modules to form modular megawatt-scale power blocks in a protected enclosure. Depending on the system size, there could be tens to hundreds of said power blocks connected to the power grid. A one megawatt system will require an acre of land to house said blocks.

Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and Co-founder of Form Energy, said, “With this technology, we are tackling the biggest barrier to deep decarbonization: making renewable energy available when and where it’s needed, even during multiple days of extreme weather or grid outages.”

The company says that its iron-air based battery fits a variety of applications and needs. They can also be used to complement the power delivered by conventional lithium-ion batteries for low cost renewable energy consumption.