World's Largest Industrial Heat Battery, world record in California
Los Angeles, California, United States--Rondo Energy has commenced commercial operations of a 100 MWh Rondo Heat Battery (RHB) — now running at full capacity at a Holmes Western Oil Corporation facility in California; the battery sets the world record for the World's Largest Industrial Heat Battery, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.
"Rondo Energy announced the start of commercial operation of the world’s largest industrial heat battery. A 100 MWh Rondo Heat Battery (RHB) has entered daily automatic operation, powered exclusively by an on-site PV solar array and delivering continuous high-pressure industrial heat and steam to a fuel production facility in California," the Rondo Energy says.
"The unit sets new records for the industrial heat battery industry in capacity, round-trip efficiency, and power supply. This 100 MWh unit delivers a volume of heat equivalent to 10,000 home heating systems.
"During the day, off-grid solar PV charges the heat battery and the RHB delivers heat 24-hours a day. After 10 weeks of operation, the project has achieved all milestones for daily automatic operation, performance, efficiency, and reliability proving out Rondo’s unique design, which boasts storage temperatures over 1000°C and round-trip efficiency above 97%."
"This Rondo Heat Battery is directly delivering steam alongside gas-fired boilers without changes to the facility. This project was delivered with zero lost-time injuries and is fully meeting all customer contract specifications," the Rondo Energy says.
"By replacing gas consumption with the fixed cost of on-site solar power, the project reduces energy cost volatility, as well as reducing regulatory and carbon market exposure. The lower carbon intensity of the customer’s fuel products strengthens competitiveness in low-carbon markets.
"The Rondo Heat Battery’s storage medium uses only brick and wire — abundant, proven materials that can’t catch fire, explode, or cause toxic leaks. Heat batteries replace or drop in alongside industry-standard boilers and seamlessly integrate into existing steam flanges, delivering steam at any conditions at 100+ bar (1450+ PSI). Because it produces no emissions, the Rondo Heat Battery requires no air permits, easing deployment."
Air and/or steam is delivered to any industrial process 24/7
- The Rondo Heat Battery is modular, scalable, and energy dense. Each individual Heat Battery delivers megawatts of heat, and larger installations are built as a battery bank.
- The Rondo Heat Battery is designed to drop into existing facilities or power new-builds, and offers a fast, low-cost pathway to decarbonization and reduced operating costs. (Rondo Energy)
"The Rondo Heat Battery is now proven at industrial scale," said Eric Trusiewicz, CEO of Rondo Energy. "We are already developing and operating heat batteries across four continents and five industries. Our customers are improving their competitiveness and slashing their carbon emissions at the same time," the official press release says.
"This Rondo Heat Battery is directly delivering steam alongside gas-fired boilers without changes to the facility. This project was delivered with zero lost-time injuries and is fully meeting all customer contract specifications.
"By replacing gas consumption with the fixed cost of on-site solar power, the project reduces energy cost volatility, as well as reducing regulatory and carbon market exposure. The lower carbon intensity of the customer's fuel products strengthens competitiveness in low-carbon markets."
"Thermal energy storage (TES) is the storage of thermal energy for later reuse. Employing widely different technologies, it allows surplus thermal energy to be stored for hours, days, or months. Scale both of storage and use vary from small to large – from individual processes to district, town, or region.
"Usage examples are the balancing of energy demand between daytime and nighttime, storing summer heat for winter heating, or winter cold for summer cooling (Seasonal thermal energy storage).
"Storage media include water or ice-slush tanks, masses of native earth or bedrock accessed with heat exchangers by means of boreholes, deep aquifers contained between impermeable strata; shallow, lined pits filled with gravel and water and insulated at the top, as well as eutectic solutions and phase-change materials." (Wikipedia)
"Rondo Energy has commenced commercial operations of the world’s largest industrial heat battery — a 100 MWh Rondo Heat Battery (RHB) — now running at full capacity at a Holmes Western Oil Corporation facility in California.
"Powered entirely by an on-site solar PV array, the system delivers continuous high-pressure industrial heat and steam, setting new benchmarks in capacity, round-trip efficiency, and power output for thermal energy storage. The 100 MWh RHB provides an amount of heat equivalent to that used by 10,000 households," the Solar Quarter says.
"Operating independently from the grid, the system charges from solar energy during the day and supplies heat around the clock. After 10 weeks of operation, it has met all performance, efficiency, and reliability milestones, validating Rondo’s high-temperature (>1000°C) thermal storage technology with a round-trip efficiency exceeding 97%."
"Industrial heat makes up 25% of global final energy use, and industries from chemicals to cement rely on high-temperature heat. Rondo's technology provides a simple and safe way for manufacturers to reduce costs and slash scope 1 emissions today.
"Unlike heat pumps or electric boilers that need constant power, the Rondo Heat Battery charges using only the six lowest-cost hours of electricity per day — whether from off-grid solar or from the grid. Intermittent and low-cost hours of electricity are becoming available in electricity systems around the world, thanks to the deployment of solar & wind," the
CBS 42 reports.
"The commercialization of the heat battery represents yet another global inflection point for solar & wind power, said Andy Lubershane, Partner at Energy Impact Partners. "Just as electric vehicles opened up the transport market to renewable electricity, heat batteries will open up an even larger new market, industrial heat, which accounts for roughly a quarter of global energy consumption. We're thrilled that Rondo is leading the way."
"Rondo Energy has begun commercial operations of what it says is the world’s largest industrial heat battery – a 100 MWh system now operating at a Holmes Western Oil facility in California," the electrek.com reports.
"Powered entirely by an onsite solar array, the system supplies constant high-pressure steam and heat to the plant, demonstrating how renewable energy can directly power heavy industry.
"During the day, the off-grid solar array charges the Rondo Heat Battery, and the battery delivers stored heat 24/7. After 10 weeks of daily operation, Rondo says the system has met every performance target, achieving over 97% round-trip efficiency and operating at temperatures above 1,000 °C (1,832 °F). The 100 MWh unit provides the same volume of heat as 10,000 household heating systems."
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