Expert-session Metal Fuels: New options for a more resilient energy system

Renewable energy resources, such as wind and sun will not be sufficient to fulfil all energy needs and needs for flexibility in the future energy use. Flexible forms such as energy carriers will be needed to overcome ( temporarily shortages).

Breakthrough technology is needed to really tackle the challenge of large-scale energy storage. The solution of iron fuel is one such technology. The technique involves a circular principle in which iron powder is used as a medium for energy storage. This iron powder can be burned to form iron oxide, better known as rust. In this process, a large amount of thermal energy is released that can be used in industrial processes. The resulting iron oxide is a solid material, so it can be captured after the combustion process. It can then be reused by regenerating it with (green) hydrogen into flammable iron fuel. In this way, iron powder offers a revolutionary method to store energy in a circular and carbon-free fashion. Transport by ship or rail of iron powder is easy and safe and therefor it offers the opportunity to work with low-cost hydrogen ( e.g., from areas with an overload of sun energy)  in order to regenerate the rust to iron powder.

Using Iron power as  an energy carrier solves many problems in long-distance transportation that occur for other energy-carriers like electricity, hydrogen and ammoniak, e.g,  pipeline-transport, safety, copper cables.

During this workshop we will discuss:

  • the future energy scenarios; how can we come to a resilient energy system?
  • the need for additional energy sources or energy carriers
  • opportunities for iron powder to fulfil the needs for flexible, safe energy storage and transport
  • the current status of metal fuels, iron powder as a technology

You are invited to join in this discussion and contribute to a resilient energy future!