Metal–water reactor producing hydrogen on demand for remote mines and industries

PROJECT COST:

1 518 346 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

676 838 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

Despite the increasing electrification of our society through renewable energy, many energy sectors will remain difficult to decarbonize in the future. For certain industries and remote communities, there is no practical alternative to fossil fuels. Therefore, energy carriers will need to be used to store, transport, and generate clean energy in a safe, efficient, economically viable, and sustainable manner.

The Alternative Fuels Laboratory (AFL) at McGill University studies the use of metals, including aluminum, as carriers of clean energy. Laboratory results have already shown that it is possible to efficiently release the energy stored in various metals by oxidizing them with water at high pressure and temperature.

The main objective of this project is to characterize the recyclability of the oxides produced by the aluminum–water reaction. This will allow Rio Tinto to diversify its operations in aluminum production. The metal–water reactions will also be visually characterized under different thermodynamic conditions, and the continuous operation regime will be tested in the laboratory. Siemens Energy will benefit from this collaboration by developing advanced expertise in Quebec while expanding its portfolio of energy solutions. Finally, techno-economic analyses, in collaboration with Hydro-Québec, Agnico Eagle, and Teck, will demonstrate the viability of storing electricity in the form of aluminum in Quebec and assess the feasibility of metal–water technologies for remote industries, with the potential outcome of decarbonizing their mining operations. Remote communities in Quebec may also benefit from the project’s outcomes to decarbonize their electricity production.