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Project cooperationUpdated on 10 August 2025

Metal fuels: New sustainable energy carrier for decarbonization

Wenbin Zhang

Senior Lecturer at ADMEC at NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY

Nottingham, United Kingdom

About

Metal fuels, specifically in the form of micron-sized powders, such as aluminium, iron and magnesium, are being recognized as an emerging and potential zero-carbon energy carrier for various applications. They offer high energy density with a high energy-to-mass ratio and when combusted, only produce metal oxides and heat, without releasing carbon dioxide. The metal oxides can be reduced back into their metallic form using renewable energy sources, such as solar power or hydrogen produced from electrolysis. This closed-loop regeneration ensures the sustainability of the metal fuel cycle.

Nottingham Trent University is working together with two Canadian research institutions with high reputation to propose innovative application of metal fuels as renewable energy carriers for industrial decarbonization. Challenges to be addressed within the project include efficient and stable combustion mechanism study, sustainable regeneration of metal oxides using solar power and hydrogen, cost evaluation and scalability study by techno-economic analysis, and the environmental impacts by life cycle assessment.

We are looking for partners or a consortium to co-develop this project idea as one of the renewable energy carriers options. The interested calls are: HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-TWIN-TRANSITION-32 Green and resilient flexible production processes; HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-TWIN-TRANSITION-33   Integrated use of renewable energy carriers in industrial sites; HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-TWIN-TRANSITION-34 Smart integration of net zero technologies into Energy Intensive industries.

Similar opportunities

  • Project cooperation

    Partner looking for consortium, specialized in smart and sustainable manufacturing and integration of renewable energy and optimization

    • Completing the consortia
    • Partner seeks Consortium
    • Design - setting the project scope
    • Ideation - identifying the project idea
    • Drafting - writing the project proposal
    • Cluster 4 2025 Call - INDUSTRY: all topics
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-32: Green and resilient flexible production processes
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-36: Safe and clean processing technologies and products
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-33: Integrated use of renewable energy carriers in industrial sites
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ADV_MANU | TWIN-TRANSITION-05: Advanced manufacturing technologies for products for the net-zero industry
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-31: From heat-driven processes to the use of mechanical and electric forces
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-34: Smart integration of net zero technologies into Energy Intensive industries
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-37: Solving issues in carbon-neutral iron and steel making processes with diverse input materials of varying quality

    José María Medianero Martín

    Senior Researcher at Idener

    Seville, Spain

  • Project cooperation

    Energy Labelling in industry renewable energy consumption

    • Partner seeks Consortium
    • Ideation - identifying the project idea
    • Cluster 4 2025 Call - INDUSTRY: all topics
    • CL4-INDUSTRY | ENE_INT_IND | TWIN-TRANSITION-33: Integrated use of renewable energy carriers in industrial sites

    Lukas Jany

    Gurantees of Origin Register in German Environment Agency

    Dessau-Roßlau, Germany

  • Project cooperation

    HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-TWIN-TRANSITION-35: Embedding upcycling technologies into viable business (Processes4Planet partnership) (IA)

    Frank Roche

    Head of Research and Development at Nanomox

    London, United Kingdom