Soon iron-air batteries much better than lithium-ion?

Form Energy is developing a rechargeable battery capable of storing electricity for days at a time. a fraction of the current cost. The company has been accused of being too secretive for this purpose, despite its forecast of more than $ 360 million funding. Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo in an interview opened up about the reasons the company is almost operating in stealth mode.

Crédit : The Business Journals

Jaramillo explained that the company has kept the effectiveness of its systems a secret only because it tries avoid unnecessary hype around his work. He also explained how the operations of the structure work and how they could solve the problem of renewable energies.

The CEO also reflected on the period of his life spent at Tesla, to work for Elon Musk. He shared the lessons he would have learned as well as how he benefits from them at Form Energy.

Tempting promises for iron-air battery technology

Although the sun and the wind turbine are renewable energies, depending on the region, they depend on the weather, which in turn is only predictable to a certain extent, besides being intermittent. Otherwise, one would have to think of a means of storing renewable energy sources over all relevant timescales.

To have an electrical system that is not only powered 100% by renewable energies, it would be better to think about periods of intermittence that last longer only a few hours at a time.

Form Energy did not invent ferrous air, which is an iron air coil. His job would have been to rust and rust the iron electrochemically. It’s a very reversible process, but you have to master it to do it. The company is currently working on devices that would represent approximately 1 / 10th the cost of what lithium-ion could be in the future. It could activate this reliable, carbon-free, affordable and highly renewable electricity network.

A beneficial stay at Tesla

Jaramillo would have worked at Tesla about seven and a half years. He believes the firm is a lesson factory. He says he learned there that there is nothing more important than quality people, passionately committed to working in a company. And, sometimes people have to be protected from themselves. He considers it necessary to recognize that there should be limits around the tasks required of employees.

At Form Energy, they would be creating a culture where everyone is extremely passionate, dedicated and mission oriented. The idea would be for the team to be able to maintain a working atmosphere similar to family life within the company.