# Lithium iron phosphate batteries: Overview

Why an iron-based battery quietly took over the world's grids

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

Why an iron-based battery quietly took over the world's grids What this tile covers The lithium-ion chemistry now dominant in grid storage and many EVs: safer and long-lived. Share of use.01% share of world stored energy (2025)

Share of the world's stored energy (energy capacity held, TWh, latest year 2019 to 2026) across the forms with figures, about 22,551 TWh; fuel stocks dominate. Battery and other stores count capacity, not state of charge (calculated) Stationary: China had 351 GWh of new-type storage at end 2025 and holds about half the world fleet, so about 0.70 TWh worldwide, about 90% LFP (0.63 TWh). Vehicles: the IEA counted over 2,400 GWh of batteries in use in the energy sector in 2023, over 90% in EVs (about 2.16 TWh); EV deployment then added about 0.92 TWh in 2024 (2025's 1.2 TWh was almost 30% higher) and 1.2 TWh in 2025, giving about 4.3 TWh before retirements. Taking about 48% as LFP (IEA: nearly 50% of 2024 deployment, over 55% in 2025, lower before) gives 2.06 TWh. Total about 2.69 TWh of 22,551 TWh. Counts capacity, not state of charge. Source: [Global EV Outlook 2026: Electric vehicle batteries](https://iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026/electric-vehicle-batteries), IEA.

#### Key facts

| **Duration** | Hours |
|---|---|
| **Chain** | Electrical AC → DC → chemical (charge) → DC → AC |

#### Included from the reference tables

- LFP

#### Linked to the material world
[Li Lithium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/lithium/)[P Phosphate rock](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/phosphate/)[CAM Battery cathode materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cathode_materials/)[Gr Graphite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/graphite/)

#### Also in Electrochemical
[NMC Nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_nmc/)[SSB Next-generation lithium batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_next/)[Na+ Sodium-ion batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sodium_ion/)[PbA Lead-acid batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_lead_acid/)[NiB Nickel-based batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_nickel_batt/)[VRF Flow batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/)[NaS High-temperature batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/)[FeAir Metal-air batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_metal_air/)[Zn Other and primary batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_other_batt/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: science and technology, engineering and performance, economics, impact and additionality, what to track.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/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)