Long Duration Storage - Iron Flow Batteries with Hugh McDermott, ESS | EP173

Clean Power Hour

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Today on the Clean Power Hour, Hugh McDermott, Senior VP of Sales at ESS Inc., joins Tim Montague for an illuminating conversation on long-duration energy storage.
Hugh has dedicated his entire career to the energy transition. He shares how he went from advising companies on cleantech to developing infrastructure for conventional power, and now innovating at the cutting edge with energy storage.
We dive into the inner workings of ESS's iron flow battery technology. Unlike lithium-ion, iron flow can cycle thousands of times without degradation, uses earth-abundant materials without supply chain issues, and is safer with easier permitting.
Hugh explains how ESS batteries enable multiple use cases and business models on a single project. He highlights groundbreaking deployments like powering electric jetways at Amsterdam's airport.
We discuss ESS's milestone partnerships with utilities like SMUD and industrials like Honeywell, as they scale up gigawatt-hour production in Oregon and ramp to meet unprecedented long-duration storage demand.
Join us for an insightful chat with a renewable energy veteran at the forefront of the iron-flow battery revolution!

Key Takeaways

1. How does an iron flow battery work and what are its components?
2. What are the major benefits of iron flow batteries compared to lithium-ion for long-duration storage?
3. What innovative use cases can iron flow batteries unlock that wasn't possible before?
4. What were some key challenges ESS had to solve to commercialize iron flow technology?
5. How can combining renewables with long-duration storage help decarbonize the grid?
6. How do iron flow batteries compare to lithium-ion regarding safety and sustainability?

Hugh McDermott
ESS Inc
Ess Inc LinkedIn

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