Gearing up iron power technology
As of July 2023, Alwin Hoogendoorn has joined the EIRES team as senior Program Manager Metal Fuels. He is clear about his first priority: ‘I want to help build a strong and successful National Growth Fund proposal on the topic of Iron Power.’
How did you end up at EIRES?
‘The short answer is that I read the vacancy for a program manager and applied. But the reason that I wanted to apply is that over the past three decades, I have built quite a strong track record in sustainable technologies and project acquisition, ranging from solutions to reduce NOx emissions, to bio-energy and biofuels.’
When did you enter the field of sustainable technologies?
‘In the early nineties, when I studied mechanical engineering at TU Delft. My graduation project was about the reduction of NOx emissions from Dutch coal-fired power stations, which led me to my first job as a specialist on NOx emission reduction at KEMA. After that, I have been working as a development engineer, consultant and portfolio manager in the field of sustainable energy at different organizations.’
What are your main tasks at EIRES?
‘My first priority is to help establish a Growth Fund proposal on Iron Power. The aim is to build a strong consortium that will engage in a multiyear collaboration to bring iron power to the market. We start by clarifying what we want to achieve and how that fits into the requirements of the Growth Fund scheme. Then we will involve the right partners that are needed to achieve our goals.’
What kinds of goals should this proposal pursue?
‘Over the past years, TU/e, RIFT, Iron+ and Metalot have taken important steps to demonstrate the potential of iron power technology, for example by installing a small scale demonstrator at the Bavaria brewery. With the Growth Fund proposal, we want to gear this development up a notch. So we plan to not only conduct further fundamental research into the efficiency of the reduction step, but we also want to investigate the logistics of an iron power cycle. What will be the most beneficial business case? Should we use cheap electricity from Saudi Arabia for the reduction cycle? Can we recycle iron powder that is now seen as waste by industry? What will be the ideal scale of the reactors for which application? And what is needed to scale up to installations that can provide 5, 10, or even 50 MW of energy?
To answer these questions, we will not only look at the technical side of things, but we will explicitly also include the socio-economic, environmental and human capital implications of this technology. Ultimately, this proposal should answer the question what problem we are trying to solve with this technology, and how our country as a whole can profit from this technology.’
What is your ambition when it comes to this technology?
‘To help turn iron power into a cornerstone of the Dutch energy transition. Even today, the electricity grid cannot cope with the fluctuating supply of renewable energy. This will only get worse. Iron power is a good way to store excess energy in sunny, windy times. It is a scalable solution, and you can store the energy virtually loss-free over longer periods of time.’
Based on your experience so far, do you have a message for the EIRES community?
‘I am extremely impressed by the enthusiasm, inventiveness and effectiveness of the energy-related student teams here on campus. TU/e is way too modest about them. Be proud, and show the world what is possible when bright minds join forces for the better!’
