Ore Energy Pilots First Grid-Connected Iron-Air Battery in Amsterdam

Ore Energy, a Netherlands-based energy storage startup, has connected an iron-air battery system to the electric grid in Delft. The installation is reported to be the first grid-connected, fully operational iron-air battery system globally. It also represents the first multi-day long-duration energy storage (LDES) system designed, built, and installed entirely within the European Union using materials that can be sourced within Europe.

The pilot system, located at The Green Village — a testing site for energy and climate innovations at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) — stores energy using iron, air, and water. It is designed to deliver up to 100 hours of storage, enabling multi-day energy shifting to support renewable integration. The system charges by converting iron oxide to metallic iron using electricity, and discharges by allowing the iron to oxidize again, releasing energy.

The installation is currently collecting operational data and will serve as a testing platform for the viability of long-duration storage technologies in real-world grid conditions. Ore Energy's commercial system design will use modular 40-foot containers, each capable of delivering several megawatt-hours of storage.

"This achievement is proof that Europe can lead the world in energy innovation and energy resilience. We've shown that breakthrough solutions like iron-air can move from lab to grid in just two years and can be built entirely with a European supply chain," said Aytaç Yilmaz, co-founder and CEO at Ore Energy. "Our battery doesn't just store clean energy, it solves three of the grid's biggest problems: it slashes curtailment, replaces fossil backup, and reduces the need to overbuild wind and solar. Long-duration storage like ours is what makes renewable power reliable, affordable, and sovereign. And now it's ready."

"The Green Village exists to bring bold ideas out of the lab and into the real world. Ore Energy's iron-air battery is exactly that kind of breakthrough," said Lidewij van Trigt, Energy Transition Project Manager at The Green Village. "Connecting the first grid-ready iron-air system here in Delft shows what's possible when research, regulation, and industry align. We're proud to provide a proving ground for technologies that will shape the future of Europe's energy system."

The pilot is part of ongoing efforts to explore new technologies that can enhance the reliability and flexibility of energy systems as renewable penetration increases across Europe.