Governor Janet Mills and Maine's congressional delegation announced today that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $147 million grant to develop the largest long-duration energy storage project in the world to date. The project will enhance grid resiliency, allow for the transmission of higher renewable energy loads, and advance the state's progress toward its goal of 400 MW of energy storage installed by 2030.
The project partner, Form Energy, will deploy an 85 MW/8500 MWh multi-day energy storage project at the Lincoln Technology Park at the site of a former pulp and paper mill in Lincoln, Maine. Form's iron-air battery technology uses iron, water, and air to store electricity for up to 100 hours. According to Form, the technology uses reversible rusting: when the battery discharges, the battery absorbs oxygen from the air and converts iron metal to rust; when the battery charges, an electrical current converts the rust back to iron, and the battery releases oxygen.
The announcement comes as ISO New England, the regional grid operator, has implemented rule changes to allow energy storage projects to participate more effectively in energy markets. According to ISO New England, nearly all of the current projects proposed for generating capacity in ISO-NE are either battery storage projects, wind, or other renewables.
The $147 million award is part of a larger, $389 million regional grant to New England states, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in response to a multi-state proposal called Power Up New England. Power Up New England features "new and upgraded transmission points of interconnection in Southeast Massachusetts and Southeast Connecticut to unlock up to 4,800 megawatts (MW) of additional offshore wind and innovative battery energy storage systems in Southwest Connecticut and Northern Maine to enhance grid resilience and optimize delivery of renewable energy."
Governor Mills noted in the announcement:
"Maine is a national leader in advancing clean energy and innovation, which will strengthen our economy, stabilize high energy costs driven by fossil fuels, and create good job opportunities all across our state. This investment will play an important role in revitalizing Lincoln, including the site of the former paper mill, providing new opportunities for rural Maine. I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for this investment and for its support of our work to build a more resilient, clean electrical grid that can withstand the impacts of a changing climate."
Mateo Jaramillo, CEO & Co-Founder of Form Energy, said:
"Located at the site of a former paper mill in rural Maine, this iron-air battery system will have the most energy capacity of any battery system announced yet in the world. We are committed to continuing to work with the State of Maine, local community leaders and the Penobscot Nation to deploy this project in a manner that drives local job growth and addresses the needs of the community. Additionally, we are excited to deploy our multi-day energy storage technology to help solve the challenges associated with transitioning New England's energy system to be more sustainable and resilient."
Maine's congressional delegation lauded the announcement, as
well as the town manager of Lincoln, Richard Bronson who
stated:
"We are thrilled to welcome this significant investment from the U.S. Department of Energy, which further makes Lincoln a leader in technology and innovation. This award will enable us to welcome cutting-edge technology that supports our town, our state, and our region by creating jobs, strengthening the electrical grid, and enabling the delivery of clean, reliable energy to power homes and businesses."
We'll continue to monitor this exciting project and other
long-duration storage developments in Maine and New England.
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