Indian deep-tech startup Meine Electric has developed what it claims is the world’s first fast-charging iron-air battery system for long-duration energy storage (LDES), featuring a proprietary Fast Charge Long Discharge (FCLD) technology capable of charging in six hours and discharging continuously for more than 18 hours.
The company said the technology has been independently validated by Customized Energy Solutions (CES), a US-headquartered energy services and technology company and parent organisation of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). The validation assessed the battery’s electrochemical performance, capacity retention, and operational stability under a structured testing protocol.
According to CES, testing was conducted on two iron-air electrochemical cells using an asymmetric operating cycle comprising a six-hour charging period followed by an 18-hour discharge cycle. The assessment confirmed the system’s operational stability under the proposed duty cycle.
Meine Electric said conventional iron-air battery technologies have largely been designed for multi-day energy storage applications, with charge and discharge cycles extending up to 100 hours. While such systems are suited for long-duration storage, the company noted that they are less effective for daily renewable energy balancing required in solar-dominated electricity grids.
The startup said its proprietary FCLD technology, combined with advancements in electrode development and system architecture, addresses this limitation by enabling daily cycling. The company added that the iron-air chemistry also offers inherent safety, uses abundant raw materials, and can deliver lower system costs than lithium-ion battery technologies.
Priyansh Mohan, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Meine Electric, said the technology was designed to address the daily balancing requirements of renewable energy markets across Asia and the Middle East and Africa (MEA), where excess solar power generated during the day must be stored and supplied during evening and nighttime demand.
Founded in 2023 by Priyansh Mohan and Stuti Kakkar, Meine Electric said it is the first company in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and the third globally to develop iron-air long-duration energy storage technology.
The company said its technology offers a levelised cost of storage (LCOS) below US$0.05/kWh (approximately ₹5/kWh) and is intended to complement lithium-ion batteries by providing affordable daily-cycling storage for round-the-clock renewable energy. It added that the systems could also enhance grid flexibility by supporting renewable energy integration and improving thermal asset utilisation.
Stuti Kakkar, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Meine Electric, said iron-air technology has the potential to reduce energy storage costs while improving reliability, positioning it as a key infrastructure solution for renewable energy grids.
The CES validation is expected to support Meine Electric’s next phase of development, which includes larger-scale demonstrations, pilot deployments, and continued development of indigenous energy storage technologies aimed at supporting India’s renewable energy transition.
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