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Crusoe makes big battery buys for its data centers | TechCrunch

2026-03-24 · 00:00 UTC ·Tim De Chant ·1 min read

Brief

Crusoe is scaling energy storage for data center infrastructure with two distinct battery strategies: long-duration storage from Form Energy and second-life EV battery systems from Redwood Materials. The 12 GWh Form purchase is a notable commercial validation of 100-hour iron-air storage, while Crusoe’s existing 12 MW / 63 MWh microgrid and planned 8 MW expansion show how reused EV packs may complement large-scale backup and load-shifting needs for AI-oriented power demand.

Why it matters

Crusoe said it will buy 12 GWh of Form Energy’s 100-hour iron-air batteries, with deliveries starting in 2027; this follows Form’s reported 30 GWh Google deal in Minnesota that The Information said was worth about $1 billion.

Key details

  • Form Energy’s battery chemistry uses iron pebbles and atmospheric oxygen: discharge oxidizes the iron into rust to generate electricity, and charging reverses the process by electrically reducing the rust and releasing oxygen.
  • Crusoe is also expanding its Redwood Materials partnership after operating a 12 MW / 63 MWh second-life battery microgrid installation since June; Redwood will add another 8 MW using repurposed EV batteries.
Cleaned source text

title: Crusoe makes big battery buys for its data centers | TechCrunch

author: Tim De Chant

content_type: article

publication: TechCrunch

published: 2026-03-24T00:00:00

source_url: https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/24/crusoe-makes-big-battery-buys-for-its-data-centers/

word_count: 257

Data center developer Crusoe is ramping up its energy storage capacity with battery buys from Form Energy and Redwood Energy.

The company said it will buy 12 gigawatt-hours of Form Energy’s 100-hour batteries. It’s the second large sale made by Form, which last month said it would build a 30 gigawatt-hour battery for Google in Minnesota. That deal was worth about $1 billion, according to The Information.

Form, which didn’t disclose the value of the sale, will start delivering Crusoe’s batteries in 2027.

Crusoe’s smaller purchase should still bring Form hundreds of millions in new revenue as the battery company embarks on a $500 million funding round. Form has raised $1.4 billion to date, according to PitchBook. Previously, Form had signed smaller contracts with utilities interested in testing the technology.

Form’s iron-air batteries discharge when oxygen from the air flows over iron pebbles inside the battery. The oxidation process produces rust and electricity. To charge the battery, electricity essentially de-rusts the iron, releasing oxygen.

Form began expanding its first factory in West Virginia last year in anticipation of big contracts that are now materializing.

Crusoe also announced that it’s expanding a partnership with Redwood Materials, the battery recycling and reuse company founded by ex-Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel. The data center company has been operating a 12 megawatt, 63 megawatt-hour battery on a microgrid since June, which was the largest second-life battery installation at the time. Redwood will deliver an additional 8 megawatts of power using repurposed EV batteries.

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