Developer in Ireland submits application for Europe’s first multi-day iron-air battery project

By Kit Million Ross
October 1, 2024
LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email

Developer FuturEnergy Ireland has announced its intentions to build Europe’s first iron-air battery energy storage system (BESS).

The company, a joint venture between two state-owned groups, forestry business Coillte and electricity generation, transmission and distribution business ESB, has submitted a planning application for the proposed Ballynahone Energy Storage project to Donegal County Council. If approved, the project will be located next to Trillick Substation, near the town of Buncrana in County Donegal.

The first and smallest project will have a 10MW/1GWh capacity, with later projects on the site having a maximum capacity of 8GWh.

Iron-air batteries work on the principle of reversible rusting. When the battery is discharging energy, the system takes in oxygen from the air and converts the iron metal into iron oxide, otherwise known as rust. While the battery is charging, an electrical current converts the rust back into iron, and the system expels oxygen. These batteries are capable of discharging energy at their full power output for up to 100 hours.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

Not ready to commit yet?
  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

“Iron-air technology was selected by FuturEnergy Ireland following a robust procurement process,” FuturEnergy Ireland portfolio director Paul Blount said. 

“Based on analysis completed by our team, we believe this technology has the potential to be a gamechanger for the Irish power system. Form Energy, the US company behind this pioneering iron-air technology, is making a big impact in other energy markets.”

Form Energy recently broke ground on its first pilot project, as covered by Energy-Storage.news. Funding offers have been abundant for Form Energy, having recently received a US$147 million (£109 million) cash injection from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a new project at a disused paper mill in Maine, US.

Form Energy has also landed grants for projects in California, West Virginia, and New York, and earlier this year signed an agreement with Washington State utility Puget Sound Energy.

To read the full version of this story, visit Solar Power Portal.

Read Next

October 22, 2025
What is claimed to be the world’s largest industrial thermal energy storage ‘heat battery’ has gone into operation in California, US.
October 22, 2025
South Australia has officially opened its inaugural Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism (FERM) tender round, seeking up to 700MW of long-duration energy storage (LDES) capacity to enhance grid reliability and support the state’s renewable energy transition.
October 17, 2025
The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission has approved Ark Energy’s 3,148MWh Richmond Valley solar-plus-storage project in Australia.
October 15, 2025
Energy storage developers are securing significant capital and strategic partnerships, with ESS Inc launching a 50MWh iron flow battery pilot, Energy Vault closing a US$300 million investment, and NineDot obtaining US$175 million in debt financing.
October 15, 2025
The value of developers and optimisers in the BESS lifecycle, thinking about long-term risk and KPIs for maximising the asset have been key themes at the Battery Asset Management Summit UK & Ireland 2025.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter