Iron fuel shows its mettle

A consortium of three firms will begin testing 1-megawatt plant IRON+ near Eindhoven, Netherlands, which burns iron fuel to produce heat energy to brew beer. IRON+ is based on a system originally tested in 2020, which demonstrated the potential of metals in burning without producing planet-warming emissions and without emitting toxic fumes. Iron fuel not only offers easy storage and transportation but also has a higher energy density than gasoline and serves as a form of clean, recyclable coal, says Jeff Bergthorson, a professor at McGill University and a scientific advisor for startup Altira Energy. However, challenges do exist, including contamination by nanoparticles created during the burning process.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/iron-fuel

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