CHENNAI: As India races toward its target of 500 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030, one of the biggest challenge it faces is storing solar power generated during the day. A Chennai-based deep-tech start-up, Meine Electric, claims to have developed a cost-effective solution — iron-air batteries. According to co-founder and CEO Priyansh Mohan, iron-air battery charges in six hours and can discharge power continuously for over 18 hours, compressing the technology into a cycle that lines up with how solar grids actually operate.
The technology has been independently tested by the CES Battery Laboratory, part of US-based Customized Energy Solutions, the parent company of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). The CES report accessed by TNIE states that, “each cell was subjected to a rigorous 24-hour charge-discharge protocol comprising a rapid 6 hours of charging followed by 18 hours of discharging per cycle. The cells yielded 7 complete cycles over the test period (May 23 to June 01, 2026).” Former Central Electricity Authority chairperson Pankaj Batra described iron-air batteries as a potentially “revolutionary” technology for grid-scale energy storage, offering a significantly cheaper alternative to lithium-ion and vanadium-based batteries.
He added that Merine Electric has secured four patents and has filed applications for seven more. Priyansh said the start-up has lined up two pilot orders with power producers, with a first grid-connected deployment expected in early 2027.
