While other energy storage solutions such as pumped-storage hydropower plants have much larger capacities, this will be the first installation of such scale using only battery technology.

As the world moves toward cleaner energy with increasingly widespread wind and solar power plants, the need for large-scale renewable energy storage solutions is becoming more urgent. While pumped hydropower can provide large capacity, it requires complex construction and is not feasible in every location.

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the only flexible energy storage solution. However, this technology is quite expensive, limited in duration, and also comes with risks, especially in high temperature areas. Form Energy uses iron-air battery technology, which is 1/10 the cost of lithium-ion batteries, can provide energy for 100 hours, is non-flammable and easier to recycle.

The iron-air battery uses simple materials including iron, water and air. It relies on the phenomenon of rust and a non-flammable aqueous electrolyte. When the battery discharges, it uses oxygen from the air to convert metallic iron into iron oxide or rust. During charging, the iron oxide is converted back to iron and releases oxygen.

A battery module made of iron—about the size of a washer-dryer—contains about 50 cells, each about a meter tall, submerged in electrolyte. Multiple modules are then caged for protection and built into a megawatt-sized battery. Form Energy will use these cells to store 85 megawatts of electricity for 100 hours, making it the world’s largest battery.

Form Energy’s completed projects to date include several megawatt-hour batteries, mostly built for utility companies. In Lincoln, Maine, the company is working on a standalone project. In addition to setting a record, the project will help address the energy shortages facing states in the region. The region has limited fossil gas supplies due to environmental regulations prohibiting the construction of new pipelines. As a result, the region relies on liquefied natural gas to meet its growing electricity needs.

Form Energy’s battery will store renewable energy from wind and solar farms, helping meet grid demand when production is low. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has provided $147 million in funding for the project, and the battery is expected to be operational by 2028.

According to Intellectual Property and Innovation