PLC Construction Powers Found Energy's Aluminum-Fuel Reactor Pilot

Author : Marketer's Center | Published On : 10 Jul 2026

EPC firm delivers a complete automation and controls platform for the Corvo clean-energy pilot, showcasing its Pilot to Production service

LIBERTY, Texas, July 10, 2026 — PLC Construction, a full-service engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, today announced the successful delivery of the automation, controls and electrical systems behind Found Energy's Corvo project, an aluminum-water reactor pilot in Charlestown, Massachusetts that produces clean hydrogen and thermal energy with zero point-source emissions. The engagement showcases PLC's Pilot to Production service, which turns first-of-their-kind concepts into working, scalable systems.

Found Energy's Corvo platform releases the energy stored in aluminum by reacting it with water, an approach that could help power the roughly 30% of industrial energy demand that is difficult or uneconomic to electrify. As the pilot's automation and electrical partner, PLC translated an evolving, research-driven process into a flexible control system built to adapt as testing advanced.

The April 2025 - August 2025 pilot demanded a single, unified control architecture capable of coordinating VFD-driven motors, EtherCAT-controlled servo motors, valves, sensors and instrumentation under one deterministic platform. A central challenge was the aluminum fuel-feed mechanism, which required precise 12-degree indexing and configurable metering followed by a timed transfer via a mechanical arm. PLC selected a Beckhoff PLC with EtherCAT integration to coordinate high-precision motion alongside conventional I/O, and developed Ignition-based touchscreen HMI screens for startup, operation, monitoring and troubleshooting.

Working in close coordination with Found Energy, PLC executed PLC and EtherCAT configuration, automation logic, electrical and control-panel design, field-device integration, HMI deployment and commissioning support — delivering a fully test-ready system on an accelerated schedule while preserving the flexibility to support future process changes and scale-up.

“Corvo is exactly the kind of project our Pilot to Production team was built for,” said Dan Eaves, Director of Engineering Services at PLC Construction. “Found Energy brought us a bold, unproven process, and our job was to deliver a control system flexible enough to evolve with their research while keeping operation safe and repeatable. Turning a first-of-its-kind idea into a working pilot is something that differentiates us from other EPCs, and I'm very proud of that.”

“The team at PLC was great to work with. They were able to get up to speed very quickly on our project and worked closely with us to deliver a very complex electrical and control system in record time,” said Angie Ackroyd, Vice President of Engineering at Found Energy. “I have worked with numerous EPCs during my career and I have to say they are one of the best.”

About PLC Construction

PLC Construction Inc. is a full-service engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company serving the oil and gas, renewables and municipal, and water treatment sectors. With offices in Liberty and Kermit, Texas, and Westminster, Colorado, PLC delivers engineering, construction, design, fabrication, automation and control systems, SCADA, commissioning, relief system and flare studies, and field services. Its Pilot to Production service helps innovators move bold ideas from concept to production-ready operations. Learn more at plcconstruction.com.

About Found Energy

Found Energy develops catalyzed aluminum-water reactor systems that convert aluminum fuel and water into dispatchable thermal energy and hydrogen, delivering reliable, behind-the-meter heat and power that help decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial processes. Learn more at found-industries.com.

Media Contact

Christina Schappacher

Director of Business Development & Growth, PLC Construction

[email protected] | 720-776-0640 x 303