Iron Power, birthed from research under ESA-led conditions, offers a game-changing carbon-free energy source through the combustion of iron powder, promising to reshape the industrial landscape with efficient, high-energy-density and eco-friendly solutions.
Energy innovation has leapt forward with Iron Power, a novel technology conceived at a 2015 research meeting held by the European Space Agency (ESA), where Philip de Goey of Eindhoven University of Technology and Jeff Bergthorson of McGill University envisioned a transformative method of storing energy using iron powder.
Iron Power signals a pivot to sustainable energy, with its carbon-free combustion of iron powder producing intense heat and minimal NOx and particle emissions. Remarkable in its energy density at 25 MJ/L, outdoing traditional energy carriers, Iron Power integrates easily with existing infrastructure due to comparable combustion temperatures with fossil fuels.
For industries where heating is essential, Iron Power presents a cost-effective, environmentally sustainable solution to decarbonization, especially for decentralized sites. The Roland Berger study accentuates its economic benefits, displaying competitiveness by minimal energy loss during transport and lack of reconversion necessity.
Progressing from laboratory research to industrial application, Eindhoven University’s Professor Philip de Goey led efforts culminating in the creation of the first iron powder flame. Student Team Solid, supported by academic and industry partners, elevated the technology to the industrial-scale MP100 system, instrumental in a CO₂-free brewing process at Swinkels brewery.
Recently, upscaling efforts have resulted in the MP500, with even a 1-MW pilot plant providing heat to households, underscoring the viability of Iron Power beyond the industrial context. The technology’s internationalization is evidenced by energy startups across the globe.
Current initiatives focus on scaling industrial cyclicity and investigating alternative iron powder production methods. As Iron Power finds its place within the wider energy landscape, ongoing advancements in hydrogen production and storage loom large, offering both opportunities and challenges as the technology aims to facilitate a hydrogen-based society effectively.
Read more at: https://hydrogentechworld.com/iron-power-enabling-large-scale-green-energy-storage-using-iron-powder
