FeEnergy

The FeEnergy project is concerned with the development of a new type of battery system based on a pumped iron (oxide) slurry. In the battery system to be developed, the active materials, i.e. iron (oxide) and oxygen, are presented as a pumped, alkaline suspension of iron or iron oxide particles and as a gaseous air component, and brought to suitable electrodes within the cell for electrochemical reaction. The pumped slurry electrode approach means that the storage capacity of the potentially rechargeable battery system is limited solely by the volume of the slurry reservoir, which is a major advantage in terms of the scalability of the battery system. Other advantages include the use of resource-saving and environmentally friendly electrode materials, which also have comparatively high energy densities and are available at low cost. The latter in particular makes the iron-slurry/air system interesting for stationary energy storage, such as the storage of surplus electricity from renewable energy sources. The challenges in the development of the iron slurry/air battery are, in a first step, the production of a pumpable iron slurry including suitable additives as well as the adequate energy transfer from the working electrode to the iron slurry.

IET-1 is cooperating with the following project partners on the FeEnergy project:

• Varta Microbattery GmbH, Ellwangen
• IBU-tec advanced materials AG, Weimar
• H.C. Carbon GmbH, Rednitzhembach
• Walter Lemmen GmbH, Kreuzwertheim