A different kind of large-scale battery
Wind power and solar power are sometimes dinged for not producing electricity 24 hours a day, but one of the most abundant minerals on the planet, iron, might be key to changing that. The company Form Energy recently broke ground in West Virginia on its first commercial scale factory to make iron-air batteries, different entirely from lithium ion. CEO Mateo Jaramillo spoke with the Associated Press.
Why do you consider batteries a climate solution?
When I left divinity school in 2004, I made a sector bet and figured at some point, society will want effective energy storage. I grew up in Salinas, California, which is an agricultural town, and my parents worked for the farmer community. I’ve seen how many enjoy the benefits of traditional energy, but only some communities carry the burdens, so I was compelled to figure a way to make a difference.
Lithium-ion batteries have some limitations and can only pump out power for four hours max. Why are iron-air batteries a good choice?
Lithium ion is an established, accepted technology being deployed at great volumes. But there isn’t a clear alternative on the market yet. We’re doing something different, storing energy for 100 hours at dramatically lower costs, to solve a multi-day storage problem as opposed to single digit hours.
Why did you choose West Virginia for the battery manufacturing facility?
The Mississippi River and Ohio River are essential for moving several million tons of material. Many people in the area had great experience working in industrial environments.
How did you build trust with the local community?
Being transparent and committed to the region. We held a meeting at the local community center and a few hundred people came by. We had team members there just to say hello, answer questions, and to start to talk.
Have you had any moments of doubt since Form Energy was founded in 2017?
Whenever you embark on a deep technical challenge, you never know if the universe works the way you hope it does. There were moments of uncertainty, but very few if any moments of doubt. I was sure we had characterized the problem correctly, and that there was a big market need, and the solution would show up at the right time. That speaks volumes to the capabilities of our technical team.
What would you say to someone who is anxious about climate change?
I am a techno optimist, but there are a lot of good approaches in policy and business pointing to the solutions we need. Everybody has a role to play. All voices have to be part of technology, policy and individual actions.