Thermal Energy Storage for Industrial Decarbonisation

Thermal energy storage is simply the storage of energy as heat. This can be observed in its simplest form as an insulated hot water tank.

As renewable energy generation increases – from sources such as wind and solar power – there’s increased opportunity to decarbonise (but only when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining).

Thermal energy storage technologies enable storage of power generated by intermittent renewables, so it can be used when required.

Batteries store electricity but are expensive at large scale and their efficiency declines each time they are used.

A large portion of global emissions comes from industrial heat, making technologies that support process heat electrification critical to reducing reliance on fossil fuels. In the United States, policies such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are accelerating investment in industrial decarbonisation technologies, including thermal energy storage.

1414 Degrees’ SiBox product is different because it safely and efficiently stores energy as heat in our silicon-based thermal energy storage technology – SiBrick™.

It charges with low-cost renewable energy when prices are low and stores it as heat, in our proprietary technology, providing high-temperature air output to an energy recovery system.

That air output can also be used to provide combined heat and power (including clean steam).

A great number of industries rely on process heat, for mineral processing and manufacturing (and the vast majority of those industries rely heavily on fossil fuels to produce the heat they require).

SiBox however, is a viable replacement for fossil fuels and can provide industry with an affordable, reliable, decarbonised, ultra-high-temperature heat 24/7.

SiBox’s long duration energy storage can also help stabilise the energy grid and high-temperature heat can be used to produce hydrogen (a goal we’re working towards with our SiPHyR™ technology).

High temperature heat storage is where 1414 Degrees excels. While many thermal storage technologies operate at lower temperature ranges, SiBox® stores energy as latent heat in silicon – reaching output temperatures up to 900°C. That’s hot enough to replace gas-fired furnaces, kilns and boilers across a wide range of industrial processes.

Sensible storage: energy is stored by heating a storage medium and maintaining its state in solid or liquid form. Energy is released and recovered by cooling the storage medium. This type of energy storage is ‘sensible’ because the heating and cooling can be sensed as a temperature change in the storage medium. Typical sensible storage media are: water, air, oil, rocks, brine (and other molten salts), concrete, sand or soil.

Phase change storage/ ‘latent heat’ storage: energy is stored by heating a storage medium through its transition from solid to liquid, or from liquid to gas.  Energy is released and recovered by extracting heat from the storage medium. Phase change storage, often also called ‘latent heat’ storage is latent, or hidden, because the storage material’s temperature does not change throughout the phase change. These storage materials include water/ice, paraffin, molten salts, metallic elements (e.g. silicon as in our SiBrick) and alloys.

Thermochemical storage: a thermochemical storage material absorbs energy in the form of heat, and splits into two physically separable chemical compounds. The recombination of these two compounds into the thermochemical storage material releases heat for energy recovery. Salt hydrates are the primary example of this energy storage technology.

Most thermal storage systems can’t get hot enough for heavy industry. High temperature heat storage – above 500°C – is what mineral processors, manufacturers and chemical producers actually need. SiBrick® stores energy above 1400°C, making it one of the few technologies capable of replacing fossil fuel combustion at true industrial scale.

Any sector that relies on continuous process heat – including food and beverage, chemicals, paper and pulp, textiles and plastics. These industries have historically had no viable clean alternative to gas. High temperature heat storage changes that, enabling electrification of process heat without interrupting production.

In many markets, yes. In the United States, the Inflation Reduction Act includes provisions supporting industrial decarbonisation technologies, including thermal energy storage. Australian businesses may also access state and federal programs targeting emissions reduction and energy efficiency. We recommend speaking with your energy advisor about what’s available in your region.