A new aqueous air battery system uses low-cost iron, water and air–some of the safest, cheapest, and most abundant materials. Lithium-ion batteries (the most common battery chemistry) are expensive, require raw materials from unstable geopolitical regions, and aren’t fully removed from fire or explosion risk. Form Energy has created a new class of low-cost multi-day energy storage systems with its iron-air battery capable of storing electricity for 100 hours at system costs competitive with legacy power plants. The company plans construction of its West Virginia factory in 2023 and manufacture of iron-air battery systems in 2024 for broad commercialization. The battery’s basic operating principle is reversible rusting. While discharging, it takes in oxygen from the air and converts iron metal to rust. While charging, an electrical current is applied converting the rust back to iron, and the battery releases oxygen. Each battery module is about the size of a side-by-side washer/dryer.
www.renewableenergyworld.com/storage/form-energy-selects-west-virginia-for-its-first-iron-air-battery-plant/#gref
formenergy.com