Breakthrough Energy invests $20m in Xcel storage projects

Green energy investor Breakthrough Energy Catalyst has agreed to commit $20 million in grant funding to support two multi-day Xcel Energy energy storage projects in the US.

The grant provides $10 million each for two 10 MW / 1,000 MWh iron-air battery systems. Xcel Energy and Massachusetts-based Form Energy announced in January an agreement to construct the batteries at the sites of two retiring coal plants: the Sherburne County Generating Station in Becker, Minnesota, and the Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado. 

“While most existing battery technologies provide less than eight hours of energy storage, Form Energy’s iron-air batteries could deliver electricity for 100 hours at costs competitive with conventional power plants,” a statement said.

“The batteries, which rely on a reversible rusting process, will allow Xcel Energy to integrate more low-cost, renewable energy into its system and maintain the reliability of the grid as it retires all of its coal plants by 2030.”

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