Batteries utilizing iron and salt can deliver emergency power without fire hazards, located near one of California’s historic redwood forests.

The 200-kilowatt battery will be integrated with solar panels at the Alliance Red Woods Conference Ground in Sonoma County, California. This site is situated in a high wildfire risk zone of Redwood Forest, merely 16 kilometers from Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, and is home to California’s tallest and oldest trees. During severe weather and wildfires, conference facilities often assist firefighters and evacuees, yet they are also prone to power grid outages.

“Our view of technology revolves around establishing a secure, cost-effective energy storage solution.” Ben Kaun from Inlyte Energy in California stated. “This perspective guided us toward developing large cells with affordable and plentiful active materials such as iron and salt.”

The battery projects are expected to provide up to two weeks of emergency backup power, operational by 2027. This capability will enable lighting within the conference grounds and supply power to local firefighter water pump stations without jeopardizing the iconic redwood trees.

This is attributed to the non-flammable nature of these easily sourced battery components (powdered iron and salt contained in ceramic tubes). “These batteries and their cells can be positioned closely together without the typical fire or explosion risks associated with lithium-ion batteries,” says Kaun.

Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in smartphones and electric vehicles, can ignite under certain conditions, and this risk escalates when batteries are concentrated in large storage facilities. For instance, in January 2025, a fire at California’s largest battery storage site obliterated 300 megawatts of energy storage. Conversely, Inlyte’s iron-salt batteries possess significantly lower risk profiles. The Iron-Salt Battery initiative has secured nearly $4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to enhance energy resilience in wildfire-prone areas near Redwood Forest.

“These non-flammable batteries are a prudent choice for project developers considering energy storage installations in remote or drought-prone regions or near forests vulnerable to frequent drought,” says Dustin Mulbany from San Jose State University. “Energy technology and infrastructure have historically contributed to wildfires, and utilizing non-flammable batteries offers a way to mitigate some of these risks.”