NRG Battle: Formic acid, the fuel of the futureThe 25th of May, a group of 15 participants joined the NRG Battle in Delft. This was more than a chance to network and find sponsors, it was pure team building. We were divided over five teams for different companies with their case. A total of ten participants had to find a solution for TenneT. The case was to define an overlay grid to transport renewable energy. Since renewable energy is generated only when the wind blows or the sun shines. Still people demand a stable delivery of energy when they need it. Furthermore, our solution should have minimal impact on the environment to make the solution acceptable for the people. As electrical engineers, we came to a rather surprising solution: Formic acid. After brainstorming for about 2 hours we came to the conclusion that more cables wouldn't do the job. Instead we chose to reuse the current infrastructure of pipes and tankers. The renewable energy will be converted into formic acid for transport. Alternatively, it can also be stored in unused silos and it is suitable for fuel cells. Eventually, every household should get its own fuel cell connected to the exiting gas pipe. After the pitches, the jury found this idea to be the most innovative idea of the day and chose it as winner. In the end 9 of us reached the finals and we all had a great and inspiring day!   |
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