Aluminium scrap gets a new life as Voya Energy unveils 2 MW power system

Voya Energy has unveiled an aluminium-based power system that converts low-grade aluminium scrap into electricity through a low-temperature electrochemical process, offering a potential new route for aluminium recycling, energy storage and off-grid power generation.

The Hayward, California-based company is targeting data centres, industrial facilities and other large energy users facing constraints around grid access, permitting and fuel logistics.

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Scrap aluminium finds a new energy application

Voya’s system combines a proprietary aluminium-based fuel with a purpose-built electrochemical generator. Rather than burning the metal, the technology converts aluminium directly into electricity without combustion or air emissions at the point of use, according to the company.

The fuel is produced from low-grade scrap aluminium, potentially creating an additional use for material that may otherwise have limited applications. Voya is positioning the technology as both a power-generation and energy-storage solution, allowing aluminium fuel to be stored and converted into electricity when required.

At industrial scale, the system is designed to generate up to 2 MW from a standard 20-foot container. Voya says a larger-scale configuration could eventually provide around 100 MW of generation capacity and 10 GWh of stored energy per acre. The company estimates that its footprint could be about four times smaller than diesel generator fleets and 100 times smaller than grid-scale battery installations.

The compact design is particularly aimed at power-intensive sites where securing additional grid capacity can be a bottleneck.

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Data centres and industry emerge as target markets

Voya is developing the system for data centres, industrial operators and other large electricity consumers that require reliable power but may face delays in grid connections or limitations related to conventional backup-fuel infrastructure.

Nearly a dozen companies across data centres, industry, transportation, utilities and infrastructure are already working with Voya on pilot demonstrations, according to the company. Initial deployments are planned for 2027, followed by manufacturing scale-up in 2028.

The approach could also give aluminium a role beyond its conventional applications in transport, construction, packaging and electrical systems, thereby positioning scrap metal as an energy carrier that can be converted into electricity on demand.

“Meeting that demand requires new technologies that can deliver clean, firm power at speed and scale,” mentioned John Doerr, Founder at Doerr Capital and Chair at Kleiner Perkins. He added that Voya is “turning abundant aluminium into a practical source of 24/7 power wherever it is needed.”

Voya raises USD 35 million for commercial deployment

Alongside the technology launch, Voya Energy announced a USD 35 million Series A funding round led by Energy Impact Partners, with participation from John Doerr, Mantis VC, StepStone, Founders Fund, Overmatch, Seven Stars and other investors.

The company plans to use the funding for further technology development, with its initial 2027 deployments and manufacturing expansion planned for 2028.

The development places aluminium at an unusual intersection of recycling, energy storage and distributed power generation. If Voya’s technology progresses from pilot deployments to commercial scale, low-grade aluminium scrap could become not only a recycling feedstock but also a source of dispatchable electricity.

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