“Rust battery” now operational in the Netherlands; first multi-day long-term energy storage system, designed to be implemented using exclusively European production and materials
Ore Energy , the Dutch iron-air long-term energy storage startup, today announced that it has successfully connected its flagship iron-air battery to the Delft electricity grid – the world’s first known fully grid-connected iron-air system. The pilot system is also the first multi-day long-term energy storage (LDES) system designed, built, and installed entirely within the European Union using materials exclusively sourced within Europe. This unique deployment represents a significant technological milestone in long-term energy storage and marks a defining moment in European energy sovereignty and resilience.
Ore Energy’s pilot system—which uses iron, air, and water to store clean energy for up to 100 hours—was deployed at The Green Village, a testing ground for next-generation climate and energy innovations at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). 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 in the air to form iron oxides again, releasing electrical energy. The installation is now collecting real-world operational data and will serve as a testbed for multi-day energy shifting, a key milestone on the road to full integration of renewable energy grids. Ore Energy’s entire system will utilize modular 12-meter containers, each providing several MWh of multi-day energy storage, optimized for low-cost and compact deployment.
“This achievement proves that Europe can lead the world in energy innovation and energy resilience. We’ve shown that breakthrough solutions like iron-air can be brought from the lab to the grid in just two years and can be built entirely within a European supply chain,” said Aytaç Yilmaz, co-founder and CEO of Ore Energy. “Our battery not only stores clean energy, but also solves three of the biggest problems facing the grid: it reduces renewables’ downtime, replaces fossil fuel backups, and reduces the need to overbuild wind and solar power. Long-term storage like ours makes renewable energy reliable, affordable, and sovereign. And now it’s ready.”
“The Green Village aims to bring bold ideas from the lab to the real world. Ore Energy’s iron-air battery is just such a breakthrough,” says Lidewij van Trigt, Energy Transition Project Manager at The Green Village. “The connection of the first grid-ready iron-air system here in Delft demonstrates what’s possible when research, regulations, and industry are aligned. We’re proud to offer a testing ground for technologies that will shape the future of the European energy system.”
Robin Edgar
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