Our third edition of the technical briefing for policymakers in Berlin focused on thermal energy storage (TES) for both domestic and industrial use. Some of the key takeaways discussed were:
- TES enables the electrification of heat for domestic and industrial use by storing and supplying clean, flexible heat from cheap renewables.
- As fossil energy prices rise and renewables become more affordable, thermal energy storage becomes increasingly attractive. With cheap thermal energy storage, renewable electricity can continue to become more and more affordable.
- TES can reach temperatures of up to 2000°C, making it suitable even for energy-intensive industrial processes.
- TES is a potentially competitive option to store electricity at scale, converting heat back into electricity during peak demand.
- TES can be integrated into existing fossil fuel infrastructure, repurposing coal or gas plants into clean energy storage sites. This helps retain steam turbines, grid connections, and local jobs, while giving existing assets a second life.
The 45-minute briefing was co-led by our Cleantech Analyst, Peter Ruschhaupt, our Founder & CEO, Peter Schniering, our Head of Operations, Leonie Brand, as well as our Senior Coordinator for Policy & Operations, Friedrich Schubert. The session was complemented by an intervention from Anton Såmark-Roth and Albert Payaró-Llisterri of Repower Initiative on how old coal plants can already be repurposed as thermal energy storage today, providing some great insight on how TES can make use of already existing infrastructure.
For more information on thermal energy storage, please see our Factsheet!
