Rondo Energy Launches World's Largest Thermal Battery for Industrial Heat

Rondo Energy has unveiled what it claims is the world's largest thermal battery, a system designed to store electricity and provide a consistent source of heat for industrial applications. The company announced last week that its first full-scale, 100 megawatt-hour capacity system is now operational. This thermal battery is powered by an off-grid solar array and is currently providing heat for enhanced oil recovery. Thermal batteries represent a potential solution for decarbonizing challenging sectors like manufacturing and heavy industry, including cement and steel production. Rondo's achievement marks a significant milestone in demonstrating the real-world viability of thermal energy storage. The concept is straightforward: electricity heats a durable, inexpensive material like bricks, maintaining the heat for later use in industrial processes or electricity generation. Rondo's system has been operating for 10 weeks, meeting efficiency and reliability benchmarks, the company states. The bricks reach temperatures exceeding 1,000°C (1,800°F), with over 97% energy return as heat. This represents a considerable advancement from Rondo’s 2 MWh pilot system launched in 2023 and signifies the first of the company’s mass-produced, full-size heat batteries ready for deployment. Approximately 20% of current global energy demand is for industrial process heat, primarily generated by burning fossil fuels, making this project's success crucial for climate action. However, the initial deployment for enhanced oil recovery presents a complex trade-off. While it helps decarbonize existing processes within the oil and gas sector, it also supports continued fossil fuel extraction, a point acknowledged by Rondo. Founder John O’Donnell argues that using solar power instead of natural gas for these operations is a net positive, driven by cost-effectiveness and policy incentives. Crucially, this operational system demonstrates the technology's viability, paving the way for future deployments. Rondo is currently constructing three additional full-scale units in Europe, leveraging the knowledge gained from the California project to reduce costs and accelerate deployment. The company’s Thailand factory currently has a production capacity of 2.4 gigawatt-hours of heat batteries. O’Donnell emphasizes the practical and readily available nature of heat batteries, stating, "This is a really dumb, practical thing that’s ready now."