In a major step toward strengthening clean energy storage, Google will deploy a 300-megawatt long-duration iron-air battery at its Pine Island data center in Minnesota. The project is expected to go live in 2028.
The hyperscale facility will be the first of its kind to contract this technology from Form Energy. The system is designed to store wind and solar power for several days, helping improve grid reliability even when weather conditions are unfavorable.
The iron-air batteries operate by “rusting” and “reversible rusting” iron metal in water to store and release energy. The process uses no heavy or rare-earth metals. Instead, it relies on a water-based, non-flammable electrolyte.
The batteries are made mainly from common materials such as iron, water, and air. This makes them safer for both people and the environment.
Iron-air batteries are expected to cost around $20 per kilowatt-hour. This is significantly lower than lithium-ion batteries, making clean energy storage more affordable.
The technology has completed UL9540A safety testing. The results showed no uncontrolled heating, no thermal runaway, and no fire under simulated fault and abuse conditions. According to Form Energy, the findings confirm that the batteries can be deployed without the need for fireproof barriers.
With this move, Google’s Pine Island facility could set a new benchmark for long-duration energy storage in large-scale data centers.
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