AI Startup Tests Aluminum as Zero-Carbon Fuel Alternative
Published on October 23, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Found Energy, a Boston startup, is gearing up for a major real-world test of aluminum as a zero-carbon fuel. The company aims to use aluminum scraps to power industrial processes without relying on fossil fuels. Since 2022, they've been developing methods to rapidly release energy from aluminum on a small scale.
Now, Found Energy has activated a significantly larger version of its aluminum-powered engine, claiming it to be the largest aluminum-water reactor ever constructed. Early next year, the engine will be installed at a tool manufacturing facility in the southeastern US to supply heat and hydrogen, utilizing the plant's own aluminum waste as fuel.
If successful, this technology, which employs a catalyst to release the energy stored in aluminum, could revolutionize the use of aluminum scrap as a zero-carbon fuel source.
In related news, Rondo Energy has unveiled what it claims is the world's largest thermal battery, an energy storage system capable of absorbing electricity and providing a consistent heat source. This thermal battery uses electricity to heat inexpensive materials like bricks, storing the heat for later use in industrial processes or electricity generation. Thermal batteries could significantly reduce emissions, as approximately 20% of current energy demand is for industrial heating, largely powered by fossil fuels. However, Rondo Energy's battery is currently being used for enhanced oil recovery, a process criticized for prolonging the lifespan of polluting infrastructure.