On the journey to greater adoption of renewables, it’s not enough to make the energy...you’ve got to hold the energy. But how to do so cheaply and at scale remains one of the biggest challenges facing the industry.
Form Energy, a startup backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, might have cracked the code: batteries made from iron that can hold electricity for days or even weeks. Form’s batteries may be key to achieving President Biden’s goal of a carbon-free power grid in the US by 2035.Big picture: Many utilities use lithium-ion batteries, similar to those in Teslas, to ensure a steady power supply. But they typically store electricity for just four-to-six hours at a time and cost an eye-watering $50–$80 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of storage.
Where Form Energy comes in: Just like your middle school science fair’s potato battery, Form Energy’s iron-air batteries only use the simplest materials: iron, air and a water-based electrolyte. It claims the cost will run lower than $20/kWh, a price point at which experts think renewables could viably replace fossil fuel plants.
Looking ahead…Form Energy announced it would partner with a Minnesota utility to test its battery, which the company says can deliver continuous power for 150 hours - link
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