Method for handling particulate metal and in particular for transporting energy over great distances, comprising the following steps: 1a) Providing particulate metal to a pretreatment unit at a first location, 1b) Pretreating the particulate metal in the pretreatment unit with a pretreatment agent to produce pretreated particulate metal, 2a) Transferring the pretreated particulate metal from the pretreatment unit to at least one transportation vessel , 2b) Transporting the pretreated particulate metal with the at least one transportation vessel to a second location, 3a) Transferring the pretreated particulate metal at the second location to a treatment system , 3b) Processing the pretreated particulate metal in the treatment system , wherein step 3b) comprises the steps of: 3b. 1) Treating the pretreated particulate metal in an intermediate treatment unit with an intermediate treatment agent to produce intermediately treated particulate metal and to withdraw thermal energy and/or a gas, wherein the intermediately treated particulate metal is oxidized particulate metal 3b.2) Transferring the intermediately treated particulate metal to a final treatment unit , in which the intermediately treated particulate metal is processed, characterized in that water steam is provided as intermediate treatment agent to the pretreated particulate metal, so that oxidized particulate metal and hydrogen is produced, wherein the hydrogen is withdrawn for a further process. 1a) Providing particulate metal to a pretreatment unit at a first location, 1b) Pretreating the particulate metal in the pretreatment unit with a pretreatment agent to produce pretreated particulate metal, 2a) Transferring the pretreated particulate metal from the pretreatment unit to at least one transportation vessel , 2b) Transporting the pretreated particulate metal with the at least one transportation vessel to a second location, 3a) Transferring the pretreated particulate metal at the second location to a treatment system , 3b) Processing the pretreated particulate metal in the treatment system , wherein step 3b) comprises the steps of: 3b. 1) Treating the pretreated particulate metal in an intermediate treatment unit with an intermediate treatment agent to produce intermediately treated particulate metal and to withdraw thermal energy and/or a gas, wherein the intermediately treated particulate metal is oxidized particulate metal 3b.2) Transferring the intermediately treated particulate metal to a final treatment unit , in which the intermediately treated particulate metal is processed, 3b. 1) Treating the pretreated particulate metal in an intermediate treatment unit with an intermediate treatment agent to produce intermediately treated particulate metal and to withdraw thermal energy and/or a gas, wherein the intermediately treated particulate metal is oxidized particulate metal 3b.2) Transferring the intermediately treated particulate metal to a final treatment unit , in which the intermediately treated particulate metal is processed, characterized in that water steam is provided as intermediate treatment agent to the pretreated particulate metal, so that oxidized particulate metal and hydrogen is produced, wherein the hydrogen is withdrawn for a further process. <EOS>