The decarbonization of industrial processes is a key challenge in the fight against Climate Change. Industrial processes account for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this figure is increasing.
One of the main technologies being developed to help decarbonize industrial processes are thermal batteries. Thermal batteries are devices that store thermal energy, that is, heat.
Thermal batteries obtain sustainable energy ( solar and wind in particular ) and convert it into heat (between 1,000 and 1,800 ºC) that they store inside, and when necessary, said energy in the form of heat can be extracted to favor some industrial processes that require it.
Thermal batteries have a series of advantages that make them an attractive option for the decarbonization of industrial processes. Firstly, they are capable of storing large amounts of thermal energy. This makes them ideal for industrial applications that require large amounts of heat, such as the production of steel, cement, glass, paper, etc...
Secondly, thermal batteries are capable of storing thermal energy at high temperatures. This makes them ideal for industrial applications that require a lot of heat and high temperatures.
Third, thermal batteries are capable of storing thermal energy for long periods of time. This makes them ideal for industrial applications that require a constant heat source.
In the photo below you can see a diagram of how these batteries work.
And below is a photo of one of them itself.
Thermal batteries offer a number of potential advantages for industrial decarbonization:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Thermal batteries can be used to store renewable energy, such as solar and wind energy. This can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with industrial heat production.
- Increased energy efficiency: Thermal batteries can be used to optimize energy use. For example, they can be used to store waste heat that would otherwise be wasted. This can help increase the energy efficiency of industrial processes.
- Improved operational flexibility: Thermal batteries can be used to provide a flexible heat source. This can help companies adapt to fluctuations in heat demand.
These batteries can be used in industrial processes that require high temperatures, such as the manufacture of steel, cement, glass, paper, etc., which are among the most polluting processes today, and with them we avoid the consumption of fossil fuels.
There are several companies that offer batteries of this type to the market, such as Antora Energy, Rondo, and others. And today these batteries can offer energy to the market of up to 300 MWh , with an operational duration of more than 40 years.
A video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/bLuCQmIOwGo
It is still a little-used technology, but I have no doubt that they have a good future ahead of them, because they help combat the Climate Crisis in processes that are currently very “dirty” for the environment, and that with it would be much more clean".
It is a still incipient business that has a long way to go, and I am sure that new companies with similar solutions will continue to appear, so their prices will drop and they will be used more every day.
As always, we will see what happens as time goes by.
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