Israeli firm Brenmiller is about to launch a 4 GW to five GW manufacturing line for its thermal vitality storage methods, which use crushed rock to retain warmth that may be launched as steam, sizzling water, or sizzling air.
Thermal vitality storage (TES) reveals nice potential to contribute to the decarbonization of world warmth and energy. However whereas the expertise has attracted funding and early commercialized installations, it has largely did not scale nicely.
Israel-based Brenmiller is seeking to turn into one of many first firms on this subject to construct a full gigawatt-scale manufacturing by the top of the yr. “Our 4 GW to five GW automated manufacturing line at Diona might be turned on in a single to 2 months from now,” mentioned Brenmiller’s CBO Doron Brenmiller pv journal.
The gear buy was financed by a non-dilutive EUR 7.5 million ($8.2 million) credit score facility with the European Funding Financial institution (EIB).
Brenmiller’s bGen system crushes rocks after which shops that thermal vitality for minutes, hours, or days. The saved warmth vitality can be utilized to provide vitality within the type of steam for electrical energy, water, or sizzling air for industrial functions. The bGen system is claimed to be low upkeep, with a lifespan of over 30 years.
“Our levelized price of warmth (LCOH) is dependent upon what costs the system. Typically, it’s a low-cost renewable vitality, so our LCOH stands between 30-50 $/MWh, which makes it cheaper than fuel in the present day in most locations in Europe,” mentioned Brenmiller.
In accordance with him, the corporate was capable of finding rapid companions within the chemical, pharmaceutical, meals and beverage, and tobacco industries that devour quite a lot of warmth that normally represents 60-70% of their vitality consumption. “The cement and metal industries are a bit more difficult for us, as a result of we function within the 150 – 500 levels C vary, and these industries require larger temperatures for his or her industrial processes,” he added.
The corporate additionally ties up with main vitality firms and IPPs akin to Enel. In November of final yr, the Italian vitality group started testing a 24 MWh TES system in Tuscany each as an energy-to-heat gear and a thermal storage. On this first-of-a-kind utility, TES is built-in right into a mixed cycle fuel turbine energy plant to extend its general flexibility.
“Within the final two years, we’ve seen an enormous improve in demand for our expertise and we’ve a gigawatt-scale pipeline of tasks. However it took us a very long time to get there, we’ve invested greater than half within the million {dollars} within the final 10 years,” mentioned Brenmiller.
As a consequence of excessive delivery prices for its expertise, the corporate’s technique is to provide domestically – near the uncooked supplies or undertaking location. “We’re already in discussions with numerous European markets, particularly Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, but additionally in Brazil, to construct manufacturing services there,” he mentioned.
“At this time, it isn’t all about lithium-based storage applied sciences. We see quite a lot of tenders beginning to come out for TES options and corporations are actively approaching us. There’s a vital change in market in comparison with two to a few years in the past,” Brenmiller mentioned.
In accordance with a report from the Lengthy-Period Vitality Storage Council and McKinsey & Co. launched in November final yr, TES can increase the entire put in potential capability of long-duration vitality storage (LDES) to between 2 and eight TW in 2040 (versus 1 to three TW with out TES), which interprets right into a cumulative funding of $1.6 trillion to $2.5 trillion.
“TES permits this extra LDES alternative by offering a cheap various for decarbonizing warmth and high-temperature heating functions. It’s estimated to cut back system prices by as much as $540 billion per yr whereas creating broader worth to the system by facilitating an accelerated building of adjustments and optimizing using the grid,” the report reads.
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