Subscribe to receive free updates on Industrials: Sign up to our myFT Daily Digest email and receive the latest Industrials news every morning.
The concept of fire has been incredibly useful throughout human history, providing energy for various industries from ancient blacksmiths to modern cement plants. However, with the increasing concerns about climate change, there is a growing need to find alternative solutions to the burning of fossil fuels. Several start-ups are now exploring the potential of thermal batteries for industrial heat, which could have a significant impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Let’s take a closer look.
Traditional manufacturing processes, such as those used in the chemicals, cement, and textiles industries, rely heavily on large amounts of heat. Historically, this heat has been generated by burning fossil fuels, which is a major contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions. Surprisingly, the issue of industrial heat and its impact on climate change has received relatively little attention. Even when discussed, it is often dismissed as a difficult problem to solve without expensive and unproven carbon-capture systems.
However, Californian start-up Rondo Energy sees an opportunity for disruption and has recently secured a $60 million funding injection to scale up its thermal battery technology. This innovative approach converts electricity into industrial-grade heat, which can be used immediately or stored for later use. The funding comes from major industrial players, including Rio Tinto, Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Titan, and Siam Cement Group. According to Rondo’s CEO, John O’Donnell, these companies could significantly reduce their carbon emissions by adopting this “remarkably simple” technology.
Rondo’s thermal battery system combines two basic technical approaches. The first involves conducting electricity through a metal wire to generate heat through electrical resistance. This heat is then transferred to a complex array of bricks, which are heated up to 1,500°C and can retain the heat for days with a daily loss rate of just 1%. The integrated system provides factories with a reliable source of carbon-free industrial heat, even during periods when renewable energy sources are not available.
While the overall concept may not sound revolutionary, it has been challenging to perfect. Rondo has gone through 74 iterations of its system design to ensure reliable performance and prevent issues such as excessive heat buildup and cracking of the bricks. The company is currently operating a pilot project at a biofuels plant in California and will soon start building its first commercial plant.
Rondo is not the only player in the thermal battery space. Antora, another California-based start-up, has developed a process that uses electricity to heat solid carbon blocks to industrial temperatures. Norway’s EnergyNest has partnered with Yara and Avery Dennison for its thermal battery system, which uses parabolic mirrors to heat liquids with reflected sunlight. Breakthrough Energy Ventures, founded by Bill Gates, has invested in both Rondo and Antora and is trying to increase funding in this space.
While thermal batteries have their limitations, such as not being suitable for extremely high or precise temperatures, they have the potential to replace a significant portion of fossil fuel usage in the industrial sector. In the United States alone, thermal batteries could potentially displace up to 75% of fossil fuel usage in industrial energy. Additionally, thermal batteries have applications beyond industrial heat and can be used as grid-level storage systems to balance out the intermittency of solar and wind energy.
One of the advantages of thermal batteries is their relatively low supply chain risk. They utilize abundant and easily accessible materials, such as bricks made from dirt. Microsoft, an investor in Rondo’s recent funding round, was attracted to this aspect. However, the scale of the task ahead is substantial. According to O’Donnell, decarbonizing all industrial heat with thermal batteries would require about 9,000GW of renewable electricity, while the total worldwide renewable generation capacity currently stands at 3,372GW. Achieving this goal will be a significant challenge, but it is one that these innovative start-ups are ready to tackle.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
