Rondo Energy, USA 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 Holmes Western Oil Corporation facility in California.
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. 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.
Earlier during May 2024, Aramco and Rondo agreed to explore deployment of heat batteries in Aramco’s global facilities to reduce operating costs and support emissions reduction initiatives. (read more)
