Date: 11 April 2025, 13:00-14:00 CET
Title: Iron Powder Reduction and Cyclability for a Sustainable Energy Future
Speaker: Giulia Finotello, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven Netherlands
Abstract: The transition to a sustainable energy system requires innovative solutions for energy storage and reuse. Iron powder is a promising energy carrier that can store renewable energy in a dense, stable and transportable form. By reducing iron oxides using clean energy sources, metallic iron can be regenerated and later combusted to release heat on demand. Unlike fossil fuels, iron burns without producing CO₂ and its combustion products—solid iron oxides—can be collected and recycled, enabling a fully circular energy cycle.
At Eindhoven University of Technology, we are pioneering research on the efficient and carbon-free regeneration of iron oxide. Our work focuses on three key reduction technologies: hydrogen reduction in fluidized beds, electrochemical reduction and flash reduction. Hydrogen reduction offers a large-scale, fossil-free regeneration route, electrochemical reduction provides a direct and renewable electricity-driven process and flash reduction is an emerging technique that achieves fast iron oxide conversion at high temperatures with improved efficiency. Our experiments demonstrate that iron powder can undergo multiple combustion-reduction cycles while maintaining stable performance. Over ten cycles, particle size distribution remains consistent and the energy storage efficiency reaches approximately 86%, highlighting the feasibility of iron powder as a durable energy carrier. However, challenges such as particle sticking and morphology changes during high-temperature reduction must be addressed to enhance process stability.
By refining iron powder regeneration techniques and improving cyclability, we are driving the development of a scalable and circular energy system. Our research contributes to the decarbonization of industrial processes and offers a reliable solution for bridging the gap between intermittent renewable energy production and continuous energy demand.
You can join the webinar here.
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