Dutch buy first tranche of E-lighter for further evaluation

The E-lighter attached to a rucksack. (Demcon)

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has procured 50 E-Lighter compact field generators for further evaluation following a development programme and then comprehensive trials by the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (RNLMC) and the RNL Army Airmobile Brigade in 2025, Janes has learned. The E-Lighter is portable, runs on standard vehicle diesel and charges batteries in the field.

The E-Lighter was originally developed by Fokker Special Products and early experiments took place in 2015. The intellectual property rights were then acquired by Dutch firm Demcon, which had contributed to the original development, and a contract was then signed with the Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) in 2021 for further development and industrialisation.

The E-Lighter is a tube-like thermoelectric generator. At its core is a solid-state device that converts heat into electricity in much the same way as a solar panel converts light into electricity. The heat is generated by diesel combustion, with the fuel fed from a two litre reservoir bag. 350 mm long and weighing 1.3 kg empty, the device generates 13 W. A full reservoir, which weighs 2 kg, offers 64 hrs of continuous operation providing 0.8 kWh, and it will charge a standard 2590 battery in eight hours.

Speaking at the 2026 SAE Media Group Future Soldier Technology conference held in London in March under the Chatham House Rule an official said that under trial the E-lighter had performed well with no major malfunctions. It was robust, leak-proof and easy to use, but the trials revealed a different usage concept than that originally envisaged.