Iron Flow Batteries:

Clean, Safe and Sustainable

IRON FLOW TECHNOLOGY

ADVANTAGES
•S
 afe and nontoxic
•E
 arth abundant materials
•N
 o critical minerals
•L
 ow life cycle greenhouse
gas footprint
•F
 ully recyclable

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA Comparison)

ESS Iron Flow Battery (IFB) technology provides long-duration energy storage (LDES). With storage durations lasting from
6-12 hours, ESS technology catalyzes the clean energy transition by complementing intermittent wind and solar power,
enabling higher penetrations of renewable energy and delivering clean energy 24/7.
In an independent assessment conducted at the University of California-Irvine, researchers evaluated the cradle-to-gate
environmental impacts of three flow battery technologie 1. The project provided insight into the climate and environmental
impacts associated with the manufacturing of various battery technologies across eight categories such as raw material
extraction, materials processing, manufacturing and assembly.
Iron flow batteries consistently demonstrated the lowest climate and environmental footprint of technologies evaluated
which included vanadium, zinc and lithium-ion (Li-ion). ESS products are easy to site, permit, and support customer
sustainability goals.

ESS
ESS Technology:The
Technology: TheSustainable
Sustainable Choice
Choice
250 Applicable research reports and studies

Application of LifeCycle Assessment to Nanoscale Technology:

200
GWP (kg CO2 eq / kWh)

Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles2

Life Cycle Assessment of a Lithium-Ion Battery Vehicle Pack3
150 Life Cycle Environmental Assessment of Lithium-Ion and Nickel Metal
Hydride Batteries for Plug-In Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles4
Flow battery production: Materials selection and environmental impact1
100 Environmental and Preliminary Cost Assessments of Redox Flow Batteries
for Renewable Energy Storage5

50 Environmental impact analysis and process optimization of batteries

based on life cycle assessment6
Comparative life cycle assessment of lithium-ion battery chemistries for
0 residential storage7
Lithium Nickel Lithium Iron Lithium Lithium Nickel VRFB IFB
Manganese Phosphate Manganese Cobalt
Cobalt Oxide Oxide Aluminum Oxide

The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of various battery technologies is detailed above illustrating the low impacts of iron flow technology.
1. Haoyang, He et. Al. Flow Battery Production: Materials selection and environmental impact. Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 269, 1 October 2020.
2. Amarakoon, S., Smith, J., & Segal, B. (2013). Application of life-cycle assessment to nanoscale technology: Lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. (No. EPA 744-R-12-001).
3. Ellingsen, Linda Ager-Wick, et al. Life cycle assessment of a lithium-ion battery vehicle pack. Journal of Industrial Ecology. 01 November 2013.
4. Majeau-Bettez, Guillaume et al. Life cycle environmental assessment of lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Environmental science & technology, vol. 45,10 (2011): 4548-54.
5. Fernandez-Marchante, Carmen M., et al. Environmental and preliminary cost assessments of redox flow batteries for renewable energy storage. Energy Technology. v. 8.11 November 2020.
6. Wang, Qingsong et al. Environmental impact analysis and process optimization of batteries based on life cycle assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 174, 10 February 2018.
7. Le Varlet, Thomas et al. Comparative life cycle assessment of lithium-ion battery chemistries for residential storage. Journal of Energy Storage, v. 28, April 2020.
START TO FINISH: IRON FLOW BATTERIES CAUSE LESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

PRODUCTION MATTERS
Life cycle impact analyses evaluate the environmental impacts
associated with the steps required to produce a finished product. This
SUSTAINABLE
100% RECYCLABLE
includes resource mining and procurement of raw materials, production
of individual components, and assembly and manufacturing of finished
products.
GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL (GWP)
In addition to evaluating the life cycle impacts of IFB production, Global warming potential calculates emissions of
greenhouse gases multiplied by their respective
researchers compared IFBs to other technologies using standardized
potency. For instance, methane is considered to
criteria. Their findings underscored the sustainability of iron flow be about 85 times more potent and harmful than
technology. carbon dioxide.

OZONE DEPLETION POTENTIAL (ODP)

The ozone depletion potential (ODP) of a chemical
compound is the amount of degradation to the
ozone layer it can cause.
Environmental Impact Assuming the Harmonized System Boundary
ACIDIFICATION POTENTIAL (AP)
Acidification increases the pH of soils and water
bodies as harmful emissions precipitate as acid
rain, harming plants and animals. Acidity is
especially harmful to marine animals that form
shells as higher pH makes shell formation more
difficult.

FRESHWATER EUTROPHICATION
POTENTIAL (EP)
Freshwater eutrophication occurs when nutrient
pollution discharged in waterways leads to
excessive growth of aquatic plants or algal blooms,
which can be toxic. Eutrophication can disrupt
aquatic food chains and can substantially reduce
levels of dissolved, potentially harming aquatic life
and leading to “dead zones.

ABIOTIC RESOURCE DEPLETION

POTENTIAL (ADP)
Abiotic resources are natural resources that are
non-living, such as crude oil, lithium or iron.
Once a resource becomes depleted and rarer, it
also becomes harder to extract. This can lead to
more cost—both financial and ecological—in the
extraction process.

CUMULATIVE ENERGY DEMAND (CED)

CED is the total amount of fossil-based
energy required through the supply chain and
manufacturing of a finished product.

FINE PARTICULATE MATTER

Particulate matter pollution is the primary cause
of smog and is harmful when inhaled. Health
impacts of excessive PM pollution include lung
irritation, asthma and heart disease.

Compared to zinc- and vanadium-based flow

batteries, iron flow batteries are the cleanest in
Flow battery types include: VRFB = vandadium redox flow battery; ZBFB = zinc
six of seven environmental impact factors noted
bromine flow battery; and IFB = all-iron flow battery. Flow battery components include:
above.
cell stack (CS) , electrolyte storage (ES) and; balance of plant (BOP).
LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES: NO COMPARISON
While UC-Irvine’s research excludes Li-ion batteries, there are known
differences in the environmental impact of Li-ion and iron flow battery
production.

Potential Environmental Impact of Flow Battery Production by Battery Component CRITICAL MINERALS
Li-ion batteries are dependent on
materials such as cobalt, nickel and lithium.
The processes for the extraction of these
minerals can be environmentally intensive and
supply chains for these critical minerals run
through several geopolitically challenging
regions, where environmental safeguards are
less common.

RESOURCE INTENSIVE
More than half the world’s lithium supply lies in
the brine under the desert salt flats of Bolivia,
Chile and Argentina. Extracting this lithium
requires pumping ~500,000 gallons of water per
tonne of lithium into the land to bring the brine
to the surface. The South American “Lithium
Triangle” region is arid, which means water must
be transported to the mine, further increasing
environmental impacts..

MORE WATER POLLUTION

Toxic chemicals have leached out of lithium
mining operations around the globe, polluting soil
and waterways, harming plant and animal life in
mining areas.

Flow battery types include: VRFB ¼ vanadium redox flow battery; ZBFB ¼ zinc-
bromine flow battery; and IFB ¼ all-iron flow battery. Flow battery components
include: cell stack (CS), electrolyte storage (ES) and balance of plant (BOP).
IRON FLOW BATTERIES: ABOUT ESS INC.
AN ECO-FRIENDLY ENDING At ESS (NYSE: GWH), our mission is to
accelerate global decarbonization by providing
The life cycle of a product also includes its disposal. Compared to safe, sustainable, long-duration energy storage
Li-ion batteries, iron flow batteries offer the most environmentally that powers people, communities and businesses
with clean, renewable energy anytime and
friendly disposal options. anywhere it’s needed. As more renewable energy
Lithium-ion batteries: is added to the grid, long- duration energy
• Require costly, energy-intensive smelting operations for recycling storage is essential to providing the reliability and
• Contain a wide variety of materials, which makes recycling more difficult resiliency we need when the sun is not shining
• Are difficult to dismantle for recycling and the wind is not blowing.
• Are classified as hazardous waste due to combustibility and chemistry involved
Our technology uses earth-abundant iron,
Iron flow batteries: salt and water to deliver environmentally safe
• Contain no toxic materials solutions capable of providing up to 12 hours
• Can easily be broken down into components and recycled of flexible energy capacity for commercial
• Are designed for a 25 year operating life with no augmentation required and utility-scale energy storage applications.
Established in 2011, ESS Inc. enables project
developers, independent power producers,
SUMMARY utilities and other large energy users to deploy
Iron flow batteries are cleaner to produce and easier to recycle and reuse at end of life reliable, sustainable long-duration energy storage
while also offering a longer design life: 25 years vs. the 7–10 year life of a Li-ion battery. solutions.

Lower impacts make IFBs an ideal choice for utilities, developers and commercial For more information visit www.essinc.com.
customers seeking to reduce environmental impact, maximize the use of clean energy
and achieve ESG goals.

There’s less environmental impact when you need to build fewer batteries over the long
run. That, too, makes iron flow batteries the eco-friendly choice.

ESS, Inc. Tel: (855) 423-9920 ESS, Inc. © 2022 All Rights Reserved
26440 SW Parkway Ave. Email: [email protected]
Wilsonville, OR 97070 www.essinc.com