News Center

Over 20 years' experience manufacturing batteries

knowledge

Company News

Industry News

A New Era for Long-Duration Energy Storage: Dutch Ore Energy's Iron-Air Battery Connected to the Grid

Release time:

2025-12-11

A New Era for Long-Duration Energy Storage: Dutch Ore Energy's Iron-Air Battery Connected to the Grid

[Core Summary]
Recently, the iron-air battery system developed by the Dutch energy company Ore Energy has been successfully connected to the Dutch power grid and commenced operation. This marks a critical milestone toward the commercial application of this innovative long-duration energy storage technology. Utilizing the redox reaction between iron and air to store electrical energy, this technology provides a safe, low-cost, and sustainable new pathway for grid-scale energy storage.

[Technical Principle]
The iron-air battery is vividly nicknamed the "rust battery" because its core reaction involves the rusting (oxidation) and reduction of iron. Its working principle is as follows:

During charging: External electrical energy reduces iron oxide (rust) back into metallic iron.
During discharging: Metallic iron undergoes an oxidation reaction (rusting) with oxygen from the air, releasing electrical energy.

The core advantages of this technology lie in:

Ultra-Long Duration Storage: Theoretical single-cycle electricity storage duration can exceed 100 hours, far surpassing most lithium-ion batteries (typically 4-8 hours). This effectively addresses the multi-day challenges of calm and cloudy periods brought by integrating intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar into the grid.
Material Advantages: The primary active material is iron, which is abundant in the Earth's crust, inexpensive, non-toxic, and non-flammable. This fundamentally ensures the system's cost-effectiveness and high safety.
Environmental Friendliness: The entire cycle consumes only iron, air, and water, producing no harmful emissions, aligning with the principles of a circular economy.

[Industry Significance and Outlook]
Ore Energy's grid connection validates the feasibility of iron-air batteries in a real-world grid environment, opening up a highly promising technological pathway for the global long-duration energy storage sector. As the penetration of renewable energy continues to increase, the demand for low-cost, ultra-long-duration storage is becoming increasingly urgent. Given its technical characteristics, iron-air batteries are poised to play a significant role in future scenarios such as grid flexibility regulation, backup power, and energy security in remote areas.

As observers and participants in the energy storage field, we continuously monitor the progress of cutting-edge storage technologies, including iron-air batteries. We will continue to collaborate with industry partners to jointly promote the development of diversified and sustainable energy storage technologies, contributing to the construction of a more resilient, clean, and efficient global energy system.