Google builds large renewable energy project in Minnesota with 100-hour battery

Google is developing the Pine Island data center complex south of Minneapolis to be powered by wind, solar and a Form Energy iron‑air battery system designed to dispatch up to about 100 hours of power.

Google announced a new data center complex south of Minneapolis, known as the Pine Island project, that will be powered by wind, solar and a large battery storage system. The battery technology comes from Form Energy and is designed to dispatch up to about 100 hours of power at a time. Most current grid-scale batteries typically provide four to eight hours of storage. The companies reported the combination of renewables and both short‑ and long‑duration storage is intended to address reliability concerns and extend renewable availability. Key details: - The project is the Pine Island data center complex and involves Google and utility Xcel Energy as partners. - Form Energy’s battery system is reported as capable of supplying about 100 hours of power per dispatch, versus the four‑ to eight‑hour durations common today. - The batteries use an iron‑air chemistry that operates through a reversible rusting process: oxygen oxidizes iron to release electrons during discharge and the process is reversed to recharge the cells. - The article reports that Form’s iron‑air batteries are about one‑tenth the cost of lithium‑ion batteries, a factor cited as suitable for long‑duration storage. - Form is opening a manufacturing hub called Form Factory 1 in West Virginia this year and has indicated plans to pursue a public listing on a relatively near‑term timeline. - Google is reported as the first hyperscaler to contract for Form Energy’s long‑duration battery technology, and the arrangement is framed as potentially significant for the emerging industry. Summary: The companies present the project as a test of whether combining wind, solar and multiday battery storage can extend renewable availability and address reliability concerns seen with shorter‑duration systems. Next steps reported include Form opening its factory this year and pursuing a public listing; the article does not specify a completion date for the Minnesota project.