TECHNOLOGY

Ideal energy carriers have high energy density, long shelf lives, are safe to transport, and are cheap. Historically, fossil fuels have been the most utilized energy carrier however, rising prices, dwindling reserves and the effects of global warming have prompted the development of carbon-free alternatives.

Iron’s low market price, abundance, and proven recyclability make it an ideal low-cost carbon-free energy carrier.

Several metals, like iron, possess many of the same characteristics as fossil fuels for being well-suited energy carriers. They can be reacted with air to produce heat and electricity, with the added benefit of producing zero CO2 during the process. Instead, they produce solid metal oxides that can be collected and recharged so that the same material can continue to store and release energy over many cycles.

Iron burns in air to form iron oxide