Form Energy is developing a new technology: the iron-air battery
How can we store energy for longer periods? Form Energy, an energy storage company based in Somerville, is pioneering solutions with their iron-air batteries. The batteries’ ability to store energy for up to 100 hours is a key factor in maintaining a consistent energy store (1, 2, 3). Coupled with low costs and highly abundant materials, Form Energy’s developments have the potential to revolutionize renewable energy, paving the way for a brighter future (1, 3).
Form Energy is a company founded in 2017 with facilities in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. They are constantly expanding their operations, as seen through the Form Factory 1, a 550,000-square-foot factory in West Virginia. As they develop, their objective is to produce and integrate their iron-air batteries into the electric grid (1, 2, 3).
A look at Form Energy’s batteries.
What exactly is an iron-air battery? It is a battery that specifically converts iron to iron oxide, also known as rust, to release energy. To store energy, the battery uses electricity to convert the iron oxide back into iron and oxygen, allowing the iron to rust again (1, 2, 3). These batteries are far cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, costing only a tenth of the price. They can also store energy for up to 100 hours, nearly 4 to 12 times as long as the 8-24 hour storage capacity of other batteries (1, 2). Each battery is about the size of a washer-dryer set and has 30 meter-tall cells. These batteries are grouped together in environmentally friendly enclosures, which are the size of a shipping container. Hundreds of these enclosures make up a power block, which comprises the electrical grid. An energy grid powered by iron-air batteries can have anywhere from two to over three megawatts of energy per acre (1).
Iron-air batteries present many significant benefits. First, they can be easily made and recycled. Second, they can be used anywhere as they don’t rely on specific geological conditions like many other renewable energy sources do. Third, they don’t contain any heavy metals and don’t risk thermal runoff, which can lead to explosions and fires (1). Still, they have several downsides. Iron-air batteries have very poor efficiency compared to lithium-ion batteries. Only 50-70% of the energy is retrievable from iron-air batteries compared to the 90-95% from lithium-ion batteries. The batteries are also extremely bulky. Thus, iron-air batteries will likely never be able to completely replace lithium batteries; instead, they will complement them (3).
Form Energy is working to create a future where energy derived from fossil fuels can be replaced with clean energy. They are attempting to make batteries more efficient so that they can be used more effectively to combat climate change. Although this technology is still in the early stages, with further research and development, fossil fuels may no longer be a part of electrical grids.
Bibliography:
- Battery Technology. (2025, January 21). Retrieved January 22, 2025, from Form Energy website: https://formenergy.com/technology/battery-technology/
- Martucci, B. (2024, October 22). Iron-air battery developer Form Energy raises $405M, announces collaboration with GE Vernova. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from Utility Dive website: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/iron-air-battery-developer-long-duration-storage-form-energy-collaboration-ge-vernova/730633/
- Mulligan, S. J. (2024, October). 2024 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: Form Energy and its iron batteries. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from MIT Technology Review website: https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/01/1104382/2024-climate-tech-companies-form-energy-iron-batteries/
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