As the global shift toward clean energy accelerates, solar and wind power are increasingly replacing fossil fuels in both transportation and electricity generation. Now an Australian startup has developed a solid-state storage system for thermal energy that could play a key role in this transition.
MGA Thermal, a revolutionary clean energy firm, claims that this block-based system needs significantly less space than standard battery storage systems. This system, which resembles large bricks, has minimal need for expensive equipment and has been designed to offer 2-3 times more energy density compared to other solid-state storage systems.
Central to its operation is the use of latent heat, a method of storing energy through phase-change materials that shift between solid and liquid states.
How does it work?
The firm’s thermal blocks are made up of a tin alloy dispersed within a graphite matrix. When heated, the tin alloy melts, storing energy in the phase-change process. Meanwhile, the graphite maintains the integrity and structure of the block. When the block cools, the tin solidifies, releasing the stored energy in form of heat.
This latent heat system allows for continuous charging and discharging, enabling the generation of high-temperature steam without interruption. The system has already demonstrated its success, with a setup comprising of 3700 individual blocks jointly offering 5 hours of stored energy.
This configuration can supply industrial-grade steam around the clock, with a thermal dispatch power of 500kW.
Industry impact and scalability
In a recent press release, MGA Thermal reported that its technology performed significantly better than conventional thermal storage systems. The firm sees this as a practical pathway to round the clock renewable heat, which could help industries reduce, and ultimately, eliminate reliance on fossil fuels.
Moreover, the block-based system is scalable to GWh-level storage, making it suitable for the huge heat demands of major industrial facilities worldwide.
MGA is currently scaling up its manufacturing facility to meet commercial demand while actively seeking industry partners in Australia and abroad. Its innovation has already attracted substantial investments from notable backers including Varley Holdings; Pollination Group; manufacturing investor Melt Ventures; Understorey; CSIRO-backed VC fund Main Sequence; the Climate Venture Capital Fund of New Zealand; and clean tech investor JEKARA.
Shell’s GameChanger program has also provided funding support.
In addition, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency contributed $800,000 in 2022, followed by another $2.5 million last year.
Further support has come from Electrifi Ventures in partnership with Climate Salad.
As more of these novel technologies are brought to market in the energy storage segment, firms like Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (NYSE American: PLG) (TSX: PTM) that are working to produce platinum group metals which are used in energy storage systems are bound to have a bigger market to address.
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