Found Energy Unveils Aluminum-Powered Engine for Zero-Carbon Industrial Heat
Published on October 23, 2025 at 09:00 AM
Found Energy, a startup based in Boston, is pioneering a technology to harness the energy stored in aluminum scrap, offering a potential pathway to power industrial processes without relying on fossil fuels. Founded in 2022, the company has developed a method to rapidly release energy from aluminum on a small scale and has recently unveiled a larger version of its aluminum-powered engine, claimed to be the largest aluminum-water reactor ever built.
According to CEO Peter Godart, the engine utilizes a liquid metal catalyst to unlock the energy within aluminum metal when it reacts with water, producing high heat and hydrogen gas. This reaction could provide a zero-carbon alternative for industrial processes such as cement production and metal refining, which are difficult to electrify directly.
Early next year, Found Energy plans to install a 100-kilowatt engine at a tool manufacturing facility in the southeastern US, using the plant's aluminum waste as fuel. The pilot project will supply heat and hydrogen, serving as a proof of concept for larger-scale deployments.
While some experts remain skeptical about the efficiency and viability of aluminum as a fuel, Godart believes that Found Energy's catalytic approach overcomes previous limitations. The company's proprietary catalyst permeates the aluminum's microstructure, forcing it to react more effectively with water. The catalyst is a low-melting-point liquid metal, similar to a gallium-indium mixture used in Godart's previous research.
Godart, a former NASA scientist, initially conceived the technology for self-consuming robots on Jupiter's moon Europa. He later realized its potential for addressing climate change on Earth and founded Found Energy after completing his dissertation at MIT.
The company's long-term vision involves “recharging” the aluminum hydroxide byproduct back into aluminum metal using clean electricity, creating a closed-loop system. Found Energy hopes to target the aluminum refining and recycling industry, utilizing difficult-to-recycle aluminum waste and converting it into clean heat for re-melting other aluminum.