How Antora Energy’s thermal batteries could decarbonize steel, cement, and heavy industry 

Antora Energy (Antora), an American energy technology company, is establishing cheap, clean energy as the standard for powering global industry. Founded with a mission to have the most significant positive impact on the planet, the company aims to electrify the manufacturing sector, which stands as the largest single source of global emissions. To address these emissions effectively, Antora sought a solution to convert the cheapest hours of electricity generation from sources like wind and solar into the continuous heat and power essential for the manufacturing industry. Following extensive research efforts, the firm identified thermal batteries as the simplest and most cost-effective method to deliver industrial energy. Nehali Jain, Chief of Staff, introduces us to Antora and its core solutions. 

“At Antora, we design and deploy thermal batteries to drive always-on industrial operations using low-cost energy. We were established in 2018 in response to two trends that were clearly noticeable. First, solar and wind were emerging as the cheapest form of primary energy sources in various parts of the world. Second, the industrial sector contributes approximately 30 percent of emissions, with about two-thirds of these emissions originating from industrial heat and power. At the time, there was no viable method to utilize these variable sources of energy for industrial heat, as their intermittent nature is incompatible with industries that demand uninterrupted operations. This sparked the idea for Antora: to leverage cost-effective thermal energy storage to capture and store intermittent electricity. Since our inception, we have made significant progress. In 2023, we launched our inaugural commercial-scale demonstration facility in Fresno, California, which has now been demonstrating our battery systems at full scale for the past two years. Moreover, last year we opened our manufacturing facility in San Jose, where we are currently producing thermal batteries for our first large-scale commercial deployments,” she begins. 

Thermal batteries may sound like an intimidating and complex solution to the industrial sector’s carbon emissions problem, but Nehali explains that their operating process is rather simple. “In essence, we charge our thermal batteries at the time when electricity is cheapest on the grid, often due to variable resources being produced in excess. We understand the market supply-demand patterns and then use that electricity to heat up carbon blocks, which store energy as heat in the insulated battery modules. Carbon is a material we favor not only because it is extremely cheap but also abundant. Additionally, it is known for its safety and has been a staple in industries for centuries, ranking as the fourth most produced industrial material in the world. The carbon blocks absorb and store this heat, before releasing it as heat when the customer requires, often round-the-clock. An exceptional property of carbon is its ability to withstand high temperatures, allowing us to store heat up to 2400 degrees Celsius, a feat unparalleled by most other materials. Furthermore, its exceptional energy density ensures our batteries remain compact and modular. As a result of this modular, factory-built approach, we can customize our projects based on our customers’ needs and scale them up to meet the customer’s thermal demand. While our first product focuses on providing heat exclusively, we are also excited about our upcoming combined heat and power offering. This innovative product utilizes thermophotovoltaic technology to convert stored heat back into electricity, providing customers with both thermal energy and electrical power. Given that most industrial customers need both, we are particularly excited about this product being able to deliver two value streams from a single capital asset,” she reveals. 

Nehali takes a deep dive into how Antora’s solutions are empowering industries to transition to clean energy and achieve their decarbonization goals. “As I mentioned earlier, intermittent energy sources are currently unable to continuously power round-the-clock loads. In this context, our thermal batteries are one of the only solutions available in the market that enable industries to achieve uninterrupted operations. In addition, thermal batteries can achieve the high temperatures required by industry. While various technologies can handle low-temperature heat, thermal batteries can deliver heat at the ultra-high temperatures required for industries such as steel and cement (Antora’s first product is focused on low- to mid-temperature industrial heat 

Longer storage solutions

“Furthermore, the opportunity that Antora is addressing extends beyond industrial off-takers reliant on process heat. Many renewable energy generators are currently constrained as they cannot deploy more wind and solar in certain regions due to low and negative power pricing during parts of the day and year. This leads to underutilization of existing renewable resources and slows down new development. Our thermal batteries soak up these otherwise-wasted hours of energy generation and provide additional revenue streams to renewable asset owners. 

“This phenomenon is particularly striking in specific regions. For example, in the US, the wind-rich Midwest frequently experiences instances where wind producers are forced to curtail or suspend operations for nearly ten percent of the time. Similar challenges are observed in Europe’s North Sea region and other areas having access to substantial solar and wind resources. Existing battery storage solutions typically offer up to four hours of energy storage, which falls short when excess energy persists for extended durations or when generation ceases for prolonged periods. Thus, a solution with significantly longer storage capabilities is imperative to address these prolonged energy imbalances effectively,” she continues. 

In addition to introducing groundbreaking innovations, Antora is actively engaged in several other endeavors, two of which Nehali briefly discusses with Energy, Oil, & Gas. “One notable initiative includes a strategic partnership for a commercial-scale demonstration at Wellhead Electric Company in Fresno, which has been operational for the past two years. The thousands of hours of operating data we collected during this period has not only validated our technology but has also given our customers the confidence to sign long-term heat offtake contracts with us. Beyond that, we are thrilled about our first major projects, which will be sharing more details on in the coming months,” she concludes. 

Antora’s pioneering thermal battery solutions are poised to take the energy transition to new heights, drastically reducing industrial carbon emissions.  

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