New fuel made from scrap aluminium delivers twice the energy of diesel

Around 7.5 million tonnes of aluminium end up in landfill annually, despite the possibility of converting the material into a completely eco-friendly fuel. Found Energy's Peter Godart has developed a process that utilises aluminium as an energy source by releasing heat and hydrogen through chemical reactions.

The startup recognises climate change as a significant and avoidable threat to our planet and aims to help mitigate it by providing an alternative to fossil fuels. Fuels typically have a higher energy density than batteries, allowing for more energy to be stored in a smaller space. This makes aluminium fuels a potentially attractive clean alternative for heavy industries like aviation and shipping, as transportation could be easier due to their smaller space requirements.

Twice the energy of diesel

One cubic metre of sustainable fuel contains double the energy of the equivalent volume of diesel. Valuable resources should be converted into energy sources, rather than wasted through recycling. Despite aluminium being one of the most frequently recycled materials, around 15 million tonnes of aluminium waste are shipped inefficiently across the globe each year, leading to significant energy waste and high CO₂ emissions.

The new process of the start-up produces hydrogen, which can then be oxidised to yield 8.6 MWh per tonne of aluminium. The resulting waste product is aluminium hydroxide, which has versatile applications in pharmaceuticals, cement, fire extinguishing agents and in particular, as the main raw material for the aluminium industry.