team SOLID

In the future, most of our energy will be provided by renewable energy sources, like solar and wind energy. The main challenge in this energy transition is that these energy sources fluctuate in their output. To be able to use sustainable energy at the places and times that we as a society are costumed to do, we need to find a way to transport and store clean energy.

The aim of team SOLID is to use iron powder to store and transport clean energy. This iron powder is used cyclically. We are doing this by working on a new concept called “metal fuels”, in which metals are used to sustainably store energy. When metal powders are burned, heat is released and the metals turn into metal oxides, also known as rust. The heat can be used to warm houses, drive trains and sail ships. The metal oxides formed during the combustion are captured. Later, these can be reduced back to metal powder, by using green energy. This way, a sustainable cycle is made in which energy is stored.