“Ore Energy, a Dutch battery manufacturer, has become the first to connect an iron‑air battery to the grid. Their prototype uses a reversible rust reaction—iron oxidizes to release power when discharging, and reverts back when charged—to provide up to 100 hours of energy storage, far beyond the 4–8 hours typical of lithium-ion batteries,” reports The Doomslayer.
Tech EU reports that Ore Energy in the Netherlands has developed “the first iron-air system to be grid-connected and fully operational anywhere in the world….the first long-duration energy storage (LDES) solution to be entirely designed, built, and installed within the European Union…The core principle of iron-air long-duration energy storage is based on rusting and derusting iron.”
Aytac Yilmaz notes that “when the battery discharges, iron oxidizes and forms a special type of rust. “The system charges by using electricity to convert iron oxides (such as rust) back into metallic iron. During discharge, the metallic iron reacts with oxygen from the air to form iron oxides again, releasing electrical energy in the process….Today, with the rise of renewables and the urgent need for affordable, long-duration energy storage, it’s finally the right moment for this kind of solution.”
Tech EU explains that while “lithium-ion peaks at 4 to 8 hours of storage, Ore Energy’s iron-air battery holds power for 100 hours or more, enabling multi-day load shifting, better integration of renewables, and reduced need for fossil backup. Unlike conventional batteries, which rely on scarce or flammable materials, Ore’s iron-air chemistry uses safe, abundant elements with no reliance on lithium, cobalt, or rare earths. Europe is already wasting vast amounts of clean energy simply because there’s nowhere to store it when demand drops.Ore Energy’s 100-hour battery captures surplus power across multi-day periods, cutting curtailment by up to 44 per cent in modelled systems and helping shave billions off Europe’s energy bill.”
Moreover, it “improves grid stability and reduces reliance on fossil fuel backup.Even modern grids with renewables like wind or solar still lean on gas-fired power during multi-day lulls in generation. These fossil fuel “peaker plants” are costly, carbon-intensive, and erode the economics of decarbonisation. Ore Energy enables renewables to meet demand without fossil backup, something current batteries can’t do. Without long-duration storage, grid operators must overbuild renewables to ensure reliability, which inflates system costs and strains grid infrastructure.”
Yilmaz says Ore Energy’s system is less than one-seventh the cost of lithium-ion batteries, “primarily because we use iron and air — materials that are abundant, safe, and inexpensive. Among long-duration options, this is currently the most cost-effective chemistry available.”
