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Increased energy efficiency, flexibility and reduction of green-house gases using thermal battery

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HEAT2VALUE (Increased energy efficiency, flexibility and reduction of green-house gases using thermal battery)

Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2022-01-31

EnergyNest has developed a breakthrough ThermalBattery solution that enables a step-change in improved efficiency, flexibility, and environmental performance for the power and industrial manufacturing sectors. By storing energy in the form of heat rather than electricity, our technology unlocks a vast new market that has so far been largely overlooked. Energy-intensive industries and several types of thermal power plants emit large quantities of high-temperature heat. Recovered, stored and discharged upon demand; high-grade heat can be used to produce high-value energy in the form of electricity, process steam/heat, district heating and even cooling which would otherwise have to be produced from fuel combustion, hence reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The potential cumulative CO2 savings for these sectors is greater than 500 million tons between 2020-2040. Our solution offers strong business cases with IRRs in the range of 20–40% in a market estimated to be greater than 7 billion € per year in Europe.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the EnergyNest ThermalBattery system at the Avery Dennison production plant in Turnhout, Belgium where excess solar thermal energy from a new CST plant of Azteq BV will be stored and used to supply thermal energy, which is used in the production, thus reducing fuel consumption (natural gas) and subsequent CO2 emissions within the plant. The project also represents an important milestone in the commercial proliferation of the ThermalBattery technology and proves that CO2 reduction for industrial production can be achieved with current technologies.

The demonstration will familiarize our future customers with the ThermalBattery, establishing trust in its performance, benefits and our capabilities. The ThermalBattery innovation relies on a patented system design using a unique concrete-like storage medium. The project will activate a European supply chain, with steel fabrication in The Czech Republic/Romania, concrete fabrication in Germany, prefabrication of Thermal Battery Modules in the Netherlands, and local engineering services in Norway and Spain.
The work and tasks caried out during the first period are well aligned to obtain the expected outcomes of the project. Initial and detailed engineering of the ThermalBattery system is underway where the design of the modules and preparation for production has been completed, along with general project management. Exploitable results will be generated in the second project period when the construction and integration of the ThermalBattery system is completed, and the system has been put into operation. Major milestones passed are the signed agreement established with Azteq as host for the demonstration project, and initiation of construction at project site (by the host).
The ThermalBattery system to be installed at the CST plant of Azteq will be the first thermal energy storage system operating with the new silicone-based non-toxic and more environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid (HTF) developed by Wacker Chemie AG. The system will be designed to ensure safe operation with this new HTF. The system has further been designed to allow fast transition between operational modes with outlet temperature control, enabling simpler control logics and easier integration with the CST plant.

The main impact of the project is reduced fossil fuel consumption and subsequently reduced carbon emissions in the Avery Dennison facility in Turnhout. The nominal ThermalBattery capacity of the demonstration system is 5.5 MWh which can displace a corresponding 2100 MWh of natural gas and save around 450 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Frames for the six ThermalBattery modules as finalized for our project.