The first European scalable, ultra-cheap and easily deployable long-duration energy storage solution, based on iron, water and air - The missing link to accelerate the EU's energy transition.

Project Information

F-AIR BAT

Grant agreement ID: 101188285

DOI

10.3030/101188285

EC signature date 30 November 2024

Start date 1 December 2024

End date 30 November 2026

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 499 817,00

Coordinated by

ORE ENERGY BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - F-AIR BAT (The first European scalable, ultra-cheap and easily deployable long-duration energy storage solution, based on iron, water and air - The missing link to accelerate the EU's energy transition.)

Reporting period: 2024-12-01 to 2025-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The intermittency of renewable energy generation is one of the biggest problems for global
electrification. During periods of high demand, gas- or coal-fired power plants are used to meet electricity demand. Thus, to avoid the use of fossil fuel in electricity generation and increase renewable energy penetration, it is necessary to store the energy to use it whenever and wherever is needed. Besides, due to the limited power transmission capacity of the current electrical grid, during generation/demand peaks, up to 63% of the installed renewable capacity may stop producing (curtailment) to prevent grid overload, implying a huge waste of energy. This highlights the urgent need for LDES systems, which not only allow excess energy to be stored and supplied to the grid when needed but to deploy 100% reliable self-consumption systems in commercial, industrial or remote rural areas to decongest the grid. Yet most existing batteries are not a good fit for multi-day storage: they are cost-effective only for short durations, remain expensive at scale, rely on scarce critical raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, and can raise safety concerns.

To address these challenges, Ore Energy has developed a new long-duration battery technology: F-AIR BAT, an iron-air battery designed specifically for multi-day energy storage. Free of critical raw materials, it leads to the most cost effective chemistry, allowing multi-day energy storage in an economically feasible way.. F-AIR BAT targets four clear advantages: more than 100 hours of storage, ultra-low storage cost (~10x more cost effective than lithium ion), safe and recyclable components using a non-flammable aqueous electrolyte, and a modular containerised design that can be deployed from commercial sites to grid scale.

The overall objective of this EIC Accelerator project is to bring the F-AIR BAT technology to the market and enable its first commercial roll-out.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During this reporting period, the project advanced along the planned work package structure. In WP1 (Grant project management), mandatory grant-related activities were carried out, including preparation and updating of the Data Management Plan and the Dissemination & Exploitation Plan, ensuring that project data and results are handled in line with Horizon Europe requirements. Day-to-day coordination, progress monitoring, and risk/quality management routines were implemented to support smooth technical execution.
In WP3 (Pre-market activities), market analysis and stakeholder engagement refined the go-to-market strategy and updated the business plan, identifying three priority beachhead markets: wind co-location, integrated energy suppliers, and data centres. Awareness activities were executed via industry networks, media, and online channels. The IP portfolio was further strengthened, a clear certification/compliance pathway was defined, and a robust EU-based supply chain for materials, components, and factory equipment was established.
In WP5 (Battery cell optimisation – Gen2 cells), work focused on improving the core iron-air cell design. Key activities included optimisation of electrode materials and structures, refinement of electrolyte composition and flow conditions, and development of an improved modular Gen2 cell architecture. Extensive laboratory testing and characterisation were performed to validate performance, durability, and safety of the optimised cells and to guide further iteration.
In WP6 (Battery stack and pack assembly), the optimised cells were integrated into larger functional units. The team engineered and tested stack configurations, developed and integrated the battery management system (BMS), and assembled standalone battery packs by combining multiple stacks with the required auxiliary and electronic systems. This work established scalable stack and pack designs suitable for pilot operation.
In WP7 (Battery stack and pack validation), independent third-party performance validation was completed by TNO, and delivered a formal test report on cell and pack behaviour under relevant operating conditions. Real-life pilot validation is now ongoing.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project has moved the iron–air battery technology from lab testing to pilot operation. Key results include:
● Second-generation (Gen2) cells with improved electrochemical stability and performance, providing a stronger and more reproducible building block for manufacturing.
● Functional battery stacks and packs assembled with an integrated battery management system, demonstrating controlled operation at system level rather than component level.
● Independent third-party verification of performance characteristics under relevant operating conditions.
● Real-life pilot operation showing that the technology can run outside the lab, with lessons feeding directly into the next-generation cells and multi-container configuration.
The expected impacts are significant. Multi-day storage enables higher penetration of wind and solar by shifting large amounts of clean electricity across days, which helps reduce renewable curtailment and replace fossil back-up generation during low-production periods. By relying on widely available materials and European manufacturing, the technology also strengthens EU energy sovereignty and industrial competitiveness. Its modular, containerised design supports flexible deployment, making it suitable for diverse applications ranging from grid-level balancing to energy-intensive users, and accelerating uptake in the first target markets.

To ensure further uptake and success, the next key needs are:
● continued real-life demonstration at commercial scale, including multi-container interaction;
● completion of certification and compliance testing along the defined regulatory pathway;
● industrial scale-up of manufacturing and supply chains to reach cost targets;
● first customer deployments in priority beachhead markets, supported by project partners and stakeholders.

Schematic representation of F-AIR BAT