# Lithium iron phosphate batteries

The lithium-ion chemistry now dominant in grid storage and many EVs: safer and long-lived.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/

Storage · Electrochemical · No. 68

- Storage
- Duration: Hours
 Storage · Electrochemical · Foundation · Energy

The battery behind most new grid storage uses no cobalt or nickel, just iron and phosphate, and can outlast 10,000 cycles.

Chart: Illustration: Lithium iron phosphate batteries

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

LFP is built from lithium, graphite, iron and phosphate with no cobalt or nickel, and today's cells typically last 6,000 to over 10,000 cycles.

##### Three things to know

1. LFP cells hold up to 205 Wh/kg against 265 for nickel cells, a gap that barely matters inside a grid container.
2. China refines about 70% of lithium chemicals and over 95% of battery-grade graphite, and makes nearly all LFP cathode material.
3. A complete US 4-hour system cost USD 334/kWh in 2024, against about USD 125/kWh for one built outside China and the US.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Grid power**AC electricity, often cheap midday solar
2. 2 **Inverter**Turns AC into DC for the cells
3. 3 **Charging**Lithium ions slot into the graphite anode
4. 4 **Holding**Stored for hours, mostly 2 to 4
5. 5 **Discharge**Ions return, DC converted back to AC
6. 6 **Evening peak**Stands in for gas or coal plants
 Covered in [Making electricity: thermal, nuclear, hydro, wind and solarEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/making-electricity/)[Storing energy: from fuel stocks to batteriesEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/storing-energy/)[Energy transitions and climateEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/energy-transitions-climate/)

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and technology](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/sg-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and performance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/sg-eng/index.md)
- [Economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/sg-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/sg-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/links/index.md)