The contract was signed with Kingspan Unidek, a supplier of insulation solutions based in the town of Gemert, the Netherlands. The agreement covers the delivery of an Iron Fuel Boiler and a long-term Iron Fuel supply contract. This makes Kingspan Unidek the first company in the world to deploy this promising technology at an industrial scale.
Until now, industrial heat has remained one of the most difficult to decarbonize, both parties state in their press release. Iron Fuel offers a rare combination of circularity, energy density, compatibility with existing systems, and safe transport and storage. This contract marks the first time these strengths will be commercially applied.
Burning iron in powder form
The required Iron Fuel Boiler (that burns iron powder) will be installed at Kingspan Unidek's facility in Gemert, the Netherlands. According to both companies. this milestone not only marks the commercial launch of RIFT's technology but also supports Kingspan's Planet Passionate sustainability goals by replacing fossil fuels with fully circular iron fuel.
RIFT (Renewable Iron Fuel Technology) emerged from TU/e student team SOLID. By burning powdered iron in a boiler, it is possible to generate a great deal of heat (i.e. energy) without direct CO2 emissions. The iron oxide that remains after combustion is converted back into iron fuel by RIFT using hydrogen. This creates a circular system.
From the lab to the industry
The idea of using iron as fuel is not new, but due to the availability of fossil fuels, the technology has been lying dormant for a long time. The concept really took off in 2015 when professor Philip de Goey started a research program at TU/e with three of his students. From those early endeavors, the student team emerged.
Following years of lab work, pilots, and demonstrations, the technology is now being commercially applied for the first time. The system at Kingspan Unidek will become the first full-scale, operational use of Iron Fuel Technology in an industrial setting. The boiler is expected to be operational by 2028, in line with typical timelines for permitting and industrial systems integration.
"This isn't just a contract, it's a statement", says Mark Verhagen, TU/e alumni and CEO at RIFT. "It shows that clean industrial heat using Iron Fuel isn't a far-off vision. With Kingspan Unidek, we're making it real today. They're not just an early adopter; they are a partner that understands the urgency and the opportunity of decarbonizing heat."
Sustainability ambitions
Kingspan has considerable sustainability ambitions. This first customer of RIFT is working towards CO2-neutral production by 2030. According to the company, the choice of iron fuel contributes directly to this aim, without any necessary interventions in existing processes. Kingspan Unidek aims to reduce its gas consumption and CO2 emissions by 90 percent.
"In our quest to reach our ambitious goals, we've seen many ideas. But few actually fit the reality of industrial production," says Gene Murtagh, CEO at Kingspan. "What RIFT offers is refreshingly tangible: a solution that doesn't ask us to overhaul our operations, but instead integrates into them. For us, this collaboration isn't just a milestone, it's a glimpse of how industrial decarbonization can truly work in practice."
First step towards international rollout
RIFT aims to further scale up iron powder technology in the coming years. In addition to the first application in the Netherlands, the company is also exploring an international rollout of the technology.
"With this step, RIFT and Kingspan demonstrate that there is indeed a bright future for sustainable, energy-intensive industry in the Netherlands", says Dr. Mark Boneschanscher, Managing Director of the Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES) at TU/e. "At the same time, they are showcasing the impact of iron fuel technology developed here in Brabant. I look forward to the next steps in the rollout of this innovative technology."
Growth thanks to investments
RIFT is a Dutch clean-tech company developing Iron Fuel Technology, an energy solution for decarbonizing industrial heat. By using iron powder as a circular, fossil-free fuel, RIFT aims to help hard-to-abate sectors transition toward net-zero operations. The company was founded in 2020 in Eindhoven.
In 2024, RIFT managed to raise 11 million euros in growth capital. New funding came from pension investor PGGM, Invest-NL and Oost NL. Existing shareholders Rubio Impact Ventures, Energietransitiefonds Rotterdam (ETFR) and the Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM) also contributed to the scale-up-process.
The new investments enabled RIFT to set up test sites in Arnhem and Helmond. Recently, the company completed the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program, an initiative of Bill Gates, which supported the startup for two years with funding and advice.
