Form Energy, created an iron-air energy cell that costs 10 times less than a lithium battery and can store renewable energy for 100 hours

Form Energy, a US battery manufacturer, has announced the creation of an iron-air energy cell that has the capacity to retain electricity for about 100 hours. According to the company, the cell can be used to store renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy, and will still cost 10 times cheaper than a lithium battery.

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• Wind and solar energy are considered the cheapest renewable energy sources in the world

Iron-air battery could surprise electric car market

Iron-air batteries take advantage of oxygen to convert existing iron in the cell into rust and then transform it back into iron, allowing renewable energy to remain stored in batteries much longer and more efficiently than lithium batteries.

According to Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, the company conducted a comprehensive review of available technologies and innovated iron-air batteries to optimize them for storing renewable energy for several days on the power grid.

With this type of technology, the company was able to make clean energy available when and where it is needed, even during several days of extreme weather or grid outages.

Iron-air batteries may be rethought in the near future for the automotive industry

The idea of ​​using such resistant batteries in electric cars or smartphones is wonderful, but the cells are still too big. On average, each of the batteries is the size of a washing machine. They work in huge arrays, and are capable of storing larger amounts of renewable energy for longer periods.

As with conventional AA batteries, the iron-air cells are stacked inside a non-flammable water-based electrolyte. When together, in an area of ​​4 m², these thousands of batteries, cheaper than lithium batteries, could generate up to 1 MW of electricity, equivalent to supplying 1.500 homes.

According to Greg Ludkovsky, head of R&D at ArcelorMittal, renewable energy storage technology has the potential to overcome the issue of intermittent supply and also smooth out peaks in clean energy distribution, since unlike lithium batteries, iron-air batteries “breathe” oxygen when discharged.

Batteries capable of storing renewable energy vs cost – benefit

Batteries with current technologies, such as lithium, reach an average value of US$ 80 (R$ 400) per kWh of storage. According to the company, the new cells can be sold for less than US$ 6 (R$ 30).

Furthermore, as they are produced from a cheap, safe and renewable material, they could become a viable year-round source of electricity. Form Energy estimates that the first plant made with iron-air batteries in the US will be operating by the year 2025. The company's idea is to implement similar solutions in various parts of the country to reduce the cost of electricity and ensure continuous supply.

According to Jaramillo, a point that must be considered is the value of the unit, bearing in mind that we need to talk about large quantities to provide an intermittent supply of good quality. Batteries with the new cells could be the key to gradually replacing systems based on polluting fossil fuels.