Europe Boosts Long-Duration Energy Storage with Iron‑Air Batteries and SMRX Technology

Dutch start‑up Ore Energy has signed an agreement with energy supplier Budget Thuis to install up to 1 GWh of iron‑air battery capacity, with an initial 400 MWh phase slated for 2028. The iron‑air system can store electricity for 24 to 100 hours, using abundant materials such as iron, water and air, and is positioned as a lower‑cost alternative to lithium‑ion for grid‑scale, multi‑day renewable balancing.

Austrian firm Emerald Horizon AG is promoting its SMRX system, which pairs an accelerator‑driven energy source with the proprietary DUALstorePLUS storage that can hold both electricity and heat. CEO Florian Wagner said, “What we're experiencing this summer is a fundamental design flaw of the old energy policy and its technology… it is precisely this double risk that our technology rules out from the outset.” The technology is presented as a solution to drought‑induced shutdowns of nuclear and hydro plants across Romania, Hungary, Switzerland and France, aiming to improve European energy security.