Iron Air battery Maker Form Energy To Build 8500MWh Battery In US

US based Ion Air battery firm Form Energy,  is progressing on plans to convert the former pulp and paper mill in Lincoln, Maine, into one of the largest battery facilities in the world feeding up to 85 MW of power into the grid at a time.

Form Energy’s battery project will take comparatively less time vis a vis pumped hydro projects, besides having a lesser impact on the environment as well in terms of land use requirements.

For Form Energy, it’s Iron Air batteries are pitched as a strong alternative to Lithion ion batteries, the dominant battery storage  technology at grid level for now. While Lithium ion batteries remain relatively expensive, with limited production hours and carries risks, especially in areas with extreme temperatures,  Form Energy’s iron-to-air technology claims to be one-tenth more expensive to install, can provide 100 hours of power, does not catch fire, and is easier to recycle.

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The Science Behind Iron-air batteries

As the name implies, Iron-air batteries are built and use basic materials: iron, water, and air. It uses the reversible principle of oxidation for its operation and a non-flammable water-based electrolyte. When the battery discharges, it uses oxygen from the air to convert the metallic iron into iron oxide or rust. During the charging process, the iron oxide is converted back into iron and oxygen is released. Each module is about the size of a washer-dryer. It contains about 50 cells, each one meter high, immersed in the electrolyte. Multiple modules are then placed in enclosures that protect them from the weather and can be grouped into megawatt-scale power blocks.

Form Energy will use its power blocks to store 85 MW of power with a 100-hour discharge level. That also necessarily means that the battery would have about 40 charging cycles in a year, making the technology better for grid scale storage, rather than automotive uses, for instance.

So far, the list of projects undertaken by Form Energy includes battery packs with a few MW of power, built largely for utilities.

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The Form Energy facility will store renewable energy from wind and solar farms and also cover grid needs when electricity production is low.

In related battery news, liquid metal battery startup Ambri, which counts Bill gates and Reliance Industries among its backers, had filed for bankruptcy in May, following failure to expand into manufacturing at scale. The firm recently emerged from bankruptcy after sale of certain assets, and some recapitalisation.