US utility backs iron-air battery project promising 100 hours of storage

American energy storage technology company Form Energy announced this week that it will move forward with deploying a 15MW/1500MWh iron-air battery system in Georgia, America, backed by the state utility.

Form Energy has been developing and commercialising what it describes as “a pioneering” iron-air battery which is capable of storing electricity for 100 hours at system costs competitive with traditional power plants.

Backed by a raft of private and commercial investors, iron-air batteries are – as the name suggests – made from iron, one of the most abundant materials on Earth.

Using the basic principle of reversible rusting, the battery breathes in oxygen from the air to convert iron metal to rust during the discharge process, and when charging uses an electrical current to convert the rust back to iron, breathing out oxygen in the process.

Form Energy hopes that its battery will help support a reform of the global electricity system to reliably run on 100% low-cost renewable energy, every day of the year.

Announced on Monday, Form Energy confirmed that it would continue under a definitive agreement with Georgia Power, the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company, to deploy a 15MW/1500MWh iron-air battery system.

The iron-air battery will be deployed as part of Georgia Power’s plan to integrate additional cost-effective clean energy into its system while maintaining grid reliability and resiliency.

Form Energy expects the battery to begin operations as early as 2026, though the project is currently subject to regulatory approvals.

“As we continue to build Georgia’s clean energy future, battery storage systems play a vital role in how we will continue to serve our customers with clean, reliable energy for decades to come,” said Kim Greene, Georgia Power chairman, president, and CEO.

“That’s why partnerships with innovators like Form Energy are so important to our long-term strategy.

“Our customers, including many business and commercial accounts, are increasingly interested in the use of new technologies such as multi-day energy storage to help grow renewable energy and enhance reliability, especially as they relocate or grow their operations in Georgia. Form Energy’s technology is cutting edge and we’re excited to continue to work with them to serve our customers.”

The two companies are also continuing to evaluate the role that Form Energy’s 100-hour iron-air battery technology will be able to play in strengthening Georgia’s electric grid against normal day-to-day, week-to-week, and season-to-season weather variability, not to mention increasingly common extreme weather events.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Southern Company and Georgia Power, who continue to provide transformational leadership that will usher in an era of products to cost effectively provide safe, reliable energy to their customers,” said Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy.

“We are pleased to strengthen our relationship through this partnership with Georgia Power and look forward to delivering an innovative multi-day energy storage system that will provide grid reliability and resiliency in their service territory for years to come.”