How can Europe safely store, transport, and make renewable energy available when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing? This question took centre stage during a roundtable meeting hosted at the European Commission in Brussels on 18 June.
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The meeting took place at DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD) and brought together representatives from DG Energy (DG ENER) and EIRES. The aim was to share the latest technological developments and discuss how European regulatory and funding framework can support the further development and scale-up of this promising technology.
Representing TU/e and EIRES at the roundtable were Prof. Niels Deen , Vice Dean of Mechanical Engineering and Principal Scientist at EIRES, and Dr. Roy Hermanns , Senior Scientist within the Power & Flow group of Mechanical Engineering and EIRES. They were joined by Delia Mitcan, TU/e's EU Representative. The industrial and societal stakeholders are represented by Anthony van de Ven from Brainport Development, bringing the regional perspective, and Jan Hubers, Manager, Funding & Public Affairs, RIFT, shared insights from industry and the market deployment of metal energy carriers.
From research to European impact
At EIRES, researchers work on solutions to some of the key challenges following from the energy transition, including the need for safe and long-duration renewable energy storage. Metal energy carriers are considered a promising technology in this context. Using renewable electricity, metals such as iron can be converted into energy-dense powders that can store energy (seasonal as well as strategic reserve), transport, and later release energy without CO₂ and low NOx emissions. Thanks to their safe handling characteristics and compatibility with existing logistics infrastructure, metal energy carriers offer significant opportunities for the transition towards a stable future European energy system.
According to EIRES, close collaboration between science, industry, and policymakers is essential to further develop and scale this technology.
A strategic moment for Europe
The roundtable took place at a pivotal moment. Over the past years, the Brainport Eindhoven region has made significant progress in advancing metal energy carriers technology. Researchers at TU/e and partners across the ecosystem have contributed to the development of demonstration systems, while companies such as RIFT and Iron+ are already working towards commercial applications.
During the meeting, TU/e and EIRES researchers presented the current state of the technology and outlined opportunities for developing a European metal energy carriers value chain. The participants highlighted the urgency of the technology to ensure a continued development towards a sustainable and stable energy system that is capable of meeting ever increasing demand for sustainable energy sources, coupled with increased self-reliance. Particular attention was given to the collaboration between knowledge institutes, industry, and regional stakeholders required to bring the technology to scale.
Why this dialogue matters
For EIRES, this meeting represented more than a knowledge exchange. The roundtable offered a unique opportunity to provide policymakers with direct insight into both the opportunities and challenges associated with this emerging technology.
The meeting also came at a time that local and European energy system is under duress. Traditional fossil fuel options must be phased out because of climate change concerns and, more urgently, because of dependency risks. The transition towards more sustainable mobility options, towards more sustainable heating and cooling and industrial processes all combine to a massive surge in demand, which cannot be matched by production at the right moment, making (short term and long term) storage a key component in the transition.
New energy technologies require not only technological breakthroughs but also supportive regulations, investment mechanisms, and favourable market conditions. By bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and European policymakers, the meeting created a platform to explore the framework conditions needed to accelerate the path from innovation to societal impact.
The discussion also contributed to creating a level playing field for metal energy carriers within the broader European energy landscape, where considerable attention is currently focused on technologies such as hydrogen and batteries.
As Roy Hermanns, Senior Scientist at EIRES, explains:
"The entire ecosystem has proven that the metal energy carriers concept works. We are now approaching large-scale deployment. To enable this next step, it is crucial that metal energy carriers are included in all relevant policy frameworks and instruments. This will help ensure that their large-scale rollout is not impeded by policy or regulatory obstacles."
Looking ahead
The insights shared during the meeting can contribute to future European research and innovation programmes, foster new collaborations between Member States, and support the scaling of pilot projects into commercial applications.
In the longer term, metal energy carriers have the potential to become an important building block of a sustainable, resilient, and energy-independent European energy system. By connecting science, industry, and policy, EIRES aims to help accelerate that transition.
With this initiative, EIRES takes another important step in its mission to connect groundbreaking energy research with societal impact and European innovation leadership.
