A record-breaking battery storage facility will be built in the US, capable of supplying power for 100 hours

A new project on the northeastern coast of the US will see the construction of a battery storage facility with record-breaking capabilities. Form Energy’s project is exceptional for its storage capacity: it can deliver up to 85 MW for as long as 100 hours. The facility will be part of massive investments aimed at enabling states to connect additional offshore wind farms.

The US Department of Energy announced that it will support the Power Up New England project with $389 million (roughly CZK 9 billion). The project’s partners will invest a further $499 million (nearly CZK 11.5 billion). The massive investments in energy development across six northeastern US states will also include a record-sized energy storage facility capable of supplying electricity for more than four days.

"Massachusetts is going all in on clean energy and climate technology. Crucial federal support means more jobs, lower energy costs for families and businesses, and cleaner air for everyone. We are grateful to the Department of Energy for its support," Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said.

Form Energy’s project calls for the installation of batteries with a power output of 85 MW and a storage capacity of 8,500 MWh. The company plans to build it on a brownfield site in northern Maine. The company has been developing a battery system based on iron-air technology since 2017. It also says the batteries will cost about one-tenth as much as lithium batteries. Unlike lithium batteries, iron-air batteries are not as "fast" and are intended for longer-term energy storage.

"This iron-air battery system will be located at the site of a former paper mill. It will have the largest energy capacity of any battery system announced worldwide to date. The project will deliver more reliable, cleaner and more affordable energy transmission in New England by reducing congestion and making valuable wind resources available where they are needed," said Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy.

Infrastructure for offshore wind farms

The project will also include new substations to enable the connection of offshore wind farms off the northeastern coast. In total, it will make it possible to connect an additional 4.8 GW of capacity without compromising grid security, when combined with long-duration storage.

"With Power Up, we are changing how we bring offshore wind power into our grid. We have worked hard to coordinate with the grid operator in New England to ensure smart, targeted investments to prepare our electricity network. The Department of Energy’s funding announcement is the perfect culmination of recent progress in energy transmission," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper.

In recent years, the development of energy storage alongside renewable energy sources has been particularly pronounced in the southern and western United States. The biggest "pioneers" are California and Texas, which together already have more than 10 GW of battery storage capacity, with systems most commonly designed to operate for 4 hours. New York State recently also announced an ambitious plan to increase its storage capacity to 6 GW by 2030..