Kraftblock, a German climate tech firm, has successfully raised €20M in a funding round to propel their sustainable thermal energy storage technology to a global stage. Kraftblock’s unique nano-technology-based energy storage system allows for heat storage of up to 1,300°C, a game-changer in industries requiring high heat energy. The firm’s mission to drive industry decarbonization and transition to renewable energy is pivotal, offering solutions for waste heat recycling and enabling a net-zero heat system. This breakthrough in sustainable thermal energy storage has the potential to revolutionize industrial processes and significantly reduce carbon emissions.
- Kraftblock secures €20M to expand unique nano-tech thermal energy storage, storing heat up to 1,300°C.
- The technology aids industry decarbonization, recycling waste heat, and enabling a net-zero heat system.
- Applications include waste heat recycling and a net-zero heat system, with real-world success shown at a PepsiCo factory.
A groundbreaking technology
The heart of their technology is a one-of-a-kind storage material capable of storing at temperatures as high as 1,300°C. This is accomplished by using a complex storage technology that combines high thermal conductivity with high specific heat capacity, allowing for long-term energy storage of up to two weeks.
Its functionality is straightforward. Heat is transferred from a medium to a storage substance and stored there. The charging process is reversed when using the stored energy: a cold transfer medium passes through the granulate and extracts the heat energy.
Modular design
Kraftblock’s integrated systems supply energy in the form of electricity, heat, steam, and cooling from the source to the storage unit to the application. This system solution enables manufacturing companies to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy while also recycling industrial waste heat. The modular architecture with standardized containers allows the storage system to be easily expanded and customized to any application.
Applications and impact
There are two primary uses for this technology. The Waste Heat Recycling System, for example, recycles waste heat from industrial operations up to 1,300°C, enhancing energy efficiency. Only 60 percent of the energy utilized in industrial operations is employed for real manufacturing. Kraftblock’s Heat-to-Heat mechanism recycles the leftover waste heat rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere. This is a carbon-neutral energy source that also allows manufacturers to create steam, electricity, and process heat.
The next application is the Net-Zero Heat System. This device can use renewable energy to power operations up to 1,000°C. Extra electricity is transformed into heat with 98 percent efficiency and then preserved for up to two weeks. This energy is subsequently converted into heat transfer mediums like steam, thermal oil, water, etc.
Real-world implementation
Among the most noteworthy examples of the technology’s application is at a PepsiCo factory. Kraftblock, in collaboration with Dutch energy supplier Eneco, substitutes gas with sustainable energy. Every year, this project saves PepsiCo 4.5 million cubic meters of gas and prevents 51 percent of carbon emissions. The food manufacturing business has a huge potential for reducing emissions. In 2020, Germany consumed 32 TWh of gas which accounts for 81 percent of all industrial emissions.
