Note: On Thursday, August 15, Great River Energy and Form Energy announced that they broke ground on the Cambridge Energy Storage Project, a 1.5 MW / 150 MWh pilot project in Cambridge, Minnesota. The project marks the first commercial deployment of Form Energy’s iron-air battery technology. The below press release from Great River Energy shares more details about the project and partnership.
Great River Energy and Form Energy break ground on first-of-its-kind multi-day energy storage project
Maple Grove, MN – August 15, 2024 – Great River Energy, a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative based in Minnesota, and Form Energy, a leading innovator in the energy storage industry, are proud to announce the official groundbreaking of the first-of-its-kind 1.5 megawatt (MW) multi-day energy storage project in Cambridge, Minnesota.
The start of construction of the Cambridge Energy Storage Project marks a significant milestone in the partnership between Great River Energy and Form Energy. The pilot project involves the development and operation of an energy storage solution in the heart of Minnesota. Great River Energy and Form Energy have selected Minnesota-based Mortenson as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner for the project.
Great River Energy will evaluate the technology over the next several years to determine effective methods to store electricity and dispatch energy over multiple days, addressing one of the most critical challenges in the energy sector.
“We are excited to break ground on this project with Form Energy,” said Cole Funseth, Great River Energy Manger of Generation Engineering. “We hope this pilot project will help us lead the way towards multi-day storage and potential expansion in the future.”
The Form Energy multi-day energy storage solution is designed to store energy for up to 100 hours, far surpassing the capabilities of traditional lithium-ion batteries. The iron-air battery will allow Great River Energy to store excess energy generated during periods of high energy production and discharge it during times of high electricity demand or low renewable energy output, thereby enhancing grid stability and ensuring reliability.
It could also allow for energy to be dispatched during times of emergency operations on the grid where other resources may be curtailed or otherwise unavailable. This pilot project will be the first commercial deployment of this breakthrough technology.
RJ Johnson, SVP of Commercial Operations at Form Energy, remarked, “Breaking ground on our first commercial deployment of iron-air battery systems is a major milestone for Form Energy. We are immensely grateful to Great River Energy for their ongoing partnership and collaboration. We are excited to soon begin manufacturing the Cambridge multi-day battery systems at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia, and look forward to deploying them in the coming year.”
Cambridge Energy Storage Project is expected to be operational by late 2025, at which point the multi-year study of the technology will commence.
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Great River Energy
Great River Energy is a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative that provides electricity to approximately 1.7 million people through its member-owner cooperatives and customers. Through its member-owners, Great River Energy serves two-thirds of Minnesota geographically and parts of Wisconsin. Learn more at greatriverenergy.com.
Form Energy
Form Energy is an American technology company developing and commercializing a new class of cost-effective, multi-day energy storage systems. Form Energy’s first announced commercial product is a rechargeable iron-air battery capable of delivering electricity for 100 hours at system costs competitive with conventional power plants. Made from iron, one of the safest, cheapest, and most abundant minerals on Earth, this front-of-the-meter battery can be used continuously over a multi-day period and will enable a reliable and secure grid year-round. To learn more about Form Energy, please visit FormEnergy.com.
About Mortenson
Mortenson is a U.S.-based, top-25 developer, builder and engineering services provider serving the commercial, institutional, and energy sectors. Mortenson’s expanding portfolio of integrated services helps its customers move their strategies forward, ensuring their investments result in high-performing assets. The result is a turnkey partner, fully invested in the business success of its customers. For additional information, visit mortenson.com.