Data center firm Crusoe is beefing up its energy storage with hefty battery buys from Form Energy and Redwood Energy. The company plans to source 12 gigawatt-hours of Form’s 100-hour batteries, a move that could net Form hundreds of millions in new revenue as it gears up for a $500 million funding round.

Form's iron-air batteries work by oxidizing iron pebbles, generating rust and electricity when discharged. To charge them, they reverse the process, using electricity to un-rust the iron, releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. This innovative technology is part of a broader trend towards sustainable energy storage solutions.

In tandem with Crusoe’s battery purchase, Redwood Materials, co-founded by ex-Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel, will supply additional repurposed EV batteries for power generation at microgrid scale. This partnership brings the total capacity of Crusoe's microgrid to 20 megawatts.

The deal between Form and Google for a 30 gigawatt-hour battery in Minnesota underscores the growing demand for large-scale energy storage solutions, hinting that these technologies could soon become as commonplace as cloud computing itself. As we rely more on digital services, so too must our infrastructure adapt to store power efficiently.

Crusoe’s move reflects a broader shift towards sustainable and efficient data center operations, with companies increasingly seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining reliability. With Form set to deliver its first batch in 2027, the future of energy storage is looking bright indeed.