A groundbreaking new battery made from depleted uranium — a byproduct of nuclear fuel production — could help solve one of renewable energy’s biggest challenges: storage.

Scientists at Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency have developed a first-of-its-kind rechargeable flow battery that uses depleted uranium as its active material, according to a recent article in IEEE Spectrum. JAEA’s prototype demonstrates a promising ability to provide stable energy output, especially when paired with solar or wind.

This innovation could be a game-changer for energy grids, cities, and communities that are looking for affordable, low-waste solutions to power homes and businesses while reducing harmful pollution. The battery gives a second life to nuclear waste — of which there are more than 826,000 tons stored in the U.S. — and may also offer a safer, more stable long-term energy storage solution to boot. 

JAEA’s design is a type of flow battery, which stores electricity in two tanks of liquid electrolyte solution. The uranium-based version uses a uranium solution as the negative electrode and an iron solution as the positive electrode. With a voltage of 1.3 volts per cell, the prototype successfully lit up an LED through ten charge cycles, a sign of stability that researchers say lays the foundation for scaling up.

This battery transforms radioactive waste into a functional energy tool, reducing reliance on more expensive and resource-intensive materials, supporting clean energy growth, and cutting the pollution that contributes to health issues like asthma and heart disease. 

The next version of the battery is being designed to hold 30,000 kilowatt-hours — enough to power 3,000 homes for a day in Japan — and would use 716 tons of depleted uranium. If successful, it could help nations with nuclear power plants reduce storage costs for nuclear byproducts and enhance grid reliability.

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Companies like Form Energy and Ambient Photonics are also working to reinvent how we store power from renewables. For homeowners looking to cut energy bills and avoid outages, solar panels combined with backup batteries can offer big savings. Pairing panels with solar charging is cheaper than relying on the grid, and EnergySage can help you compare vetted installers and save up to $10,000.

To learn more about battery storage and solar panel pairing, check out TCD’s guide to installing solar panels.

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