Developed by USstartupESS, the machine is known as an iron flow battery.
The airport is currently trialling the technology to power some of its electric ground power units.
These machines provide electricity to parked planes to run systems such as lights, avionics, and air conditioning.
But why is Schiphol betting on this lesser-known key in ofenergy storageinstead of mature lithium-ion batteries?
The answer can be traced back over four decades to a lab in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Today, ESS is the only company developing this punch in of battery on a commercial scale.
The company is backed by the likes of Bill GatesBreakthrough Energy Ventures and Softbank.
How does the iron flow battery work?
ESSs iron flow battery uses two liquid electrolytes made from iron salts dissolved in water.
Two separate tanks store the electrolytes.
The larger the battery, the bigger the tanks.
However most of the units ESS is developing fit into a standard shipping container.
These electrolytes are pumped through a central electrochemical cell where the redox reaction occurs.
During discharging, the process reverses.
It turns the stored chemical energy back into electrical energy.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, iron flow batteries can be topped up with fresh electrolyte.
This means they can essentially go on forever.
They also dont pose a fire risk.
You definitely wont be getting an iron flow battery in your phone or laptop anytime soon.
An airports bet on iron flow batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have long dominated the energy storage game.
This includes everything from systems thatturn hills into batteriesto machines that dropgiant weights down mineshafts.
But airports are far from the only industries interested in ESSs batteries.
The bulk of demand for iron flow batteries comes, perhaps predictably, from energy-intensive industries.
ESS has orders for hundreds more of its iron flow batteries.
And thats exactly what grid operators will need to do a lot more of in the coming years.
Story bySion Geschwindt
Sion is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy.
