Abu Dhabi start-up develops thermal energy storage product from waste

Seramic Materials Ltd, a start-up based in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, has launched what is said to be the world’s first thermal energy storage (TES) product made entirely from recycled materials.

The company’s process recycles industrial solid waste into technical ceramic that can store heat at temperatures up to 1,250 degrees C.

The product can be used to store thermal energy in concentrated solar power (CSP) or industrial waste heat recovery systems, as well as from renewable electricity or excess grid electricity.

“Thermal energy storage is a technology with enormous potential, helping to overcome the intermittency challenges of renewable energy and mitigating climate change,” Masdar City executive director Abdulla Balalaa, said in the announcement on Tuesday.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the global market for TES could triple in size by 2030, with investments in TES applications for cooling and power reaching up to USD 28 billion (EUR 23.9bn).

Seramic Materials founder and chief executive Nicolas Calvet said the company’s product is a game changer in high-temperature applications over 600 degree C as by being derived from waste it tackles the high cost of the ceramic material itself, the bottleneck hitherto.

The product is called ReThink Seramic – Flora and has achieved its first order. StorEnergy DOO is receiving 24 tonnes of it at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) in Spain for a demonstrator project.

Seramic Materials is backed by clean technology start-up accelerator The Catalyst, an initiative of Masdar and BP.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.852)

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