Can you build a battery from rust?

The key question the project tries to answer is if large amounts of renewable energy can be stored in batteries build from cheap everyday materials like rust and salt water.

The key result/outcome is the development and proof‐of‐concept of a novel type of flow battery technology based on iron oxide nanoparticles. To reach this goal, the project will break with the established convention that the energy carriers must be dissolved in the electrolyte. Instead, a novel concept in which suspensions of solid nanoparticles are circulated in the flow battery will be explored.

The key impact after a successful demonstration would be the implementation of this cost‐efficient, highly innovative technology, which would allow the storage of large amounts of fluctuating renewable electricity ‐ an important step towards a low‐carbon society.