Metal-water reactors for producing hydrogen on demand for mines and remote industry

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Renewable primary energy sources are proving to be economical and adopting these technologies to achieve a low-carbon society is within reach. However, Canada must still address two greater challenges to successfully transition away from carbon-based energy. First is the seasonal storage of clean energy. We need a mechanism by which to store clean energy on a seasonal basis to help balance the seasonal variability of clean energy and allow for export of excess clean energy from Canada. Second is the decarbonization of the heavy industry, transportation and remote, or off-grid, power generation sectors. These sectors are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and will remain so unless viable, cost-effective, low-carbon alternatives are developed. The engines used in these applications require sustained, high-power, which batteries cannot provide. Hydrogen has been considered but not adopted, because its inherently low energy density renders it too expensive to store and transport. We propose to use metals, such as aluminum and zinc, as a cheap alternative to store the excess clean energy. The metal fuel would react with water at elevated temperatures and pressures to release heat, hydrogen gas, and metal oxides. The heat can be used to drive a steam turbine to produce power. The hydrogen may be used for hydrogen vehicles, or in a heat engine to produce more power. The metal oxides are non-toxic and can be fully recycled back to the original metal using carbon-free processes. As such, metals are circular fuels that can be sustainable for the long term. This project aims to bring metal-water reactor technology a step closer to commercialization. The main focus of this project will be on developing a metal-water continuous flow reactor, assessing the recyclability of the metal oxides produced, and build the business case for metal fuels through a variety of case studies. The development of metal-water technologies will enable Canada to cheaply store and transport clean energy. This will support Canadians in transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable sources. It will also put Canada as a global leader in large scale clean energy solutions.