While the Bel Paese struggles with economic reforms and new political pressures, yesterday the first independent test took place on a new energy technology called E-Cat: it is a system that uses low-energy nuclear reactions to produce enormous quantities of cheap and clean energy. If it works, it will be a complete revolution for our society: as Mina said "..and I underline SE".

Over the past 2 years, the E-Cat concept and prototypes have been the subject of heated debate in the scientific community: its operating methods have never been fully accepted, all previous tests were conducted by Eng.Andrea Rossi (the creator of the device) and no one has been able to look carefully inside the system, because it is still protected by a blanket of confidentiality (and by the intention to immediately market and sell the discovery).

What is it about

From a scientific point of view, the project is a bit vague: E-Cat aims to convert a little initial energy (more hydrogen) into a huge amount of energy (and heat) with the use of a nickel catalyst. Technically, it is less a 'cold fusion' than a low-energy nuclear reaction.

The first tests (conducted, I repeat, by the same creator of the system) showed a production of 30 kilowatt-hours with an initial input of only 9 kilowatt-hours: the current prototype would be able to produce 6 times the energy that is introduced . It is not completely free energy, hydrogen has a price: but very little is needed, and there would be no radioactive waste at the end of the process. In short, 10kg of hydrogen and 18kg of nickel would be enough to produce 1MW of energy for 6 months.

This is the state of affairs: nobody is certain that it will work, but independent tests have been carried out yesterday and today the first independent tests will be carried out in Italy, which will be able to ascertain the truth.

What if it works?

What if E-Cat wasn't a hoax? I think it would be something incredible, capable of changing our entire society in the course of a single generation. Consider the time, money, labor involved in the production, delivery and use of energy: the price and economic impact of gas, electricity, oil and their inputs. Finally, consider the impact on the environment.

If E-Cat were to deliver what it promises (ease of use, cheapness, lots of clean energy for everyone) we could forget about coal, oil and even traditional nuclear energy: electricity would become absurdly cheap, and with it the cost of everything that which depends on electricity and transportation: practically everything we know today.

Obviously, many scientific exponents are not convinced at all of this possibility: this is why an independent test has absolute importance: whatever the chances that E-Cat will revolutionize our life, the prize is so high that it is worth trying: )

We will keep you posted.