Grid-scale iron-sodium battery reaches field-ready milestone in US

Inlyte Energy has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing factory acceptance testing of its iron-sodium battery system near Derby, UK, marking the technology as ready for initial field deployment. This system, combining sodium metal chloride battery cells with inverters and control electronics, demonstrated an 83% round-trip efficiency including auxiliary loads, comparable to high-end lithium-ion batteries. The iron-sodium batteries are designed for grid-scale, long-duration energy storage, addressing the limitations of lithium-ion technology in multi-hour to multi-day applications by offering improved safety, lower cost, and extended operational lifetime using abundant and low-cost materials. Looking ahead, Inlyte plans to install its first energy storage systems at Southern Company’s Energy Storage Test Site in Wilsonville, Alabama, in early 2026, with ambitions to scale production within the US. The company emphasizes the importance of developing domestic, cost-effective, and safer battery technologies to meet the evolving needs of the US energy grid. Southern Company highlights the growing demand for long