Ore Energy, a Dutch startup specializing in long-duration energy storage (LDES), today announced a significant breakthrough: the successful grid connection and operation of its innovative iron-air battery system in Delft. This achievement marks the world’s first known grid-connected and fully operational iron-air system and represents a pivotal moment for European energy independence and resilience.
The pilot system is also the first multi-day LDES solution to be entirely designed, built, and installed within the European Union, utilizing materials exclusively sourced from within Europe. This deployment highlights Europe’s capacity to lead in advanced energy innovation.
How it works: Iron, air, and water for multi-day storage
Ore Energy’s groundbreaking system, deployed at The Green Village, a leading climate and energy innovation testing ground at The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), harnesses the power of iron, air, and water to store clean energy for an impressive duration of up to 100 hours.
The battery operates by using electricity to convert iron oxides (like rust) back into metallic iron during charging. For discharge, the metallic iron reacts with oxygen from the air, reforming iron oxides and releasing electrical energy. The system is now actively collecting real-world operational data, serving as a critical testbed for multi-day energy shifting – a crucial step towards seamless renewable grid integration.
Looking ahead, Ore Energy’s full-scale systems will be housed in modular 40-foot containers, each capable of delivering multiple MWh of multi-day energy storage, optimized for cost-effectiveness and a minimal footprint.
A European-led solution for grid challenges
“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.”
