TU/e spinoff RIFT signs first commercial contract for iron powder fuel
Burning iron powder in the Iron Fuel Boiler (Photo: RIFT)
June 17, 2025 – RIFT, a company that grew out of a TU/e student team, has signed its first contract with an industrial party that will use the company’s iron fuel.
The contract was signed with Kingspan Unidek, a supplier of insulation solutions based in the town of Gemert, the Netherlands. The agreement covers the delivery of an Iron Fuel Boiler and a long-term Iron Fuel supply contract. This makes Kingspan Unidek the first company in the world to deploy this promising technology at an industrial scale.
The required Iron Fuel Boiler (that burns iron powder) will be installed at Kingspan Unidek’s facility in Gemert, the Netherlands. According to both companies. this milestone not only marks the commercial launch of RIFT’s technology but also supports Kingspan’s Planet Passionate sustainability goals by replacing fossil fuels with fully circular iron fuel.
RIFT (Renewable Iron Fuel Technology) emerged from TU/e student team SOLID. By burning powdered iron in a boiler, it is possible to generate a great deal of heat (i.e. energy) without direct CO2 emissions. The iron oxide that remains after combustion is converted back into iron fuel by RIFT using hydrogen. This creates a circular system.
