Metal Energy Europe (MEE) – the European Metal Energy Carrier Association

Initiators: Metalot, TU Eindhoven, TU Darmstadt, Swiss Nanomaterials AG
Update: December 12th, 2025

1. Introduction: Motivations for an association

Metals are gaining popularity as a carrier to store and release energy on demand via reduction and oxidation cycles. Metals compete with other energy carriers. For example, hydrogen is the current political favorite for energy storage in Europe and elsewhere. Lobbies are very well financed and politically connected. Some carriers enjoy very generous funding and subsidization and very positive public images. Metals currently do not have comparable visibility and structures. On the commercial side, the industry is still in its nascency. Promotion of mutual interests in the metal energy community is mostly informal.

Therefore, the initiators are proposing to found a trade association: “Metal Energy Europe (MEE)”.

2. Scope: customer focused, including all metal energy cycles technologies and applications

• All metals: iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), silicon (Si), lithium (Li) etc.
• Metal production, ie metal oxide reduction (thermochemical, electrochemical)
• Metal oxidation/combustion: all process variants (dry/wet, fast/slow, aerosolized/fluidized/bulk)
• Metal logistics: storage, transport, safety

3. Envisioned activities

• External focus (visibility): lobbying; public relations, regulatory affairs; education on the benefits of metal energy cycles; publications; membership in umbrella organizations
• Internal focus (exchange): technical standards and best practices; events; non-discriminatory funding network for members (research & commercial); market intelligence

4. Structure and membership

• Located in Brussels as an association under Belgian law (typical for EU lobbies).
• Membership structured into several types: regular, associates, individuals, honorary etc.
• Both industry and academia are welcome. Fees higher for industry. Details to be discussed.

5. Benefits of participating

For everyone

• Networking
• Standardization
• Job opportunities

For industry

• Visibility/marketing
• Increased probability of R&D funding
• Access to capital (non-discriminatory)
• Staying up to date on emerging technology
• Market intelligence
•  Finding research partners

For academia

• Access to public funding
• Visibility
• Finding industry partners

6. Current status, we already have:

• Intense, voluntary time commitment by the initiators;
• Strong interest from several large corporations, startups and research institutions;
• A draft for statutes for the association based on other successful trade associations’ statutes on the EU level and a summary of the statutes;
• An in-depth presentation of the concept that we are ready to give to you.

7. Next steps

We are looking for: founding members; feedback, exploratory discussions.

Anticipated launch date: First half of 2026, possibly at the next metal energy conference.

Feel free to spread this document to additional people/institutions who you deem interested.

 

Contacts and responsible authors:
Michael Davidson, Marketing & Community Manager, Metalot (NED), info@metalot.org
Johannes Helmke, CEO, Swiss Nanomaterials AG (CHE), info@swissnanomaterials.ch