The Eni plant’s renewable steam production during the day required thermal storage to extend production after sunset. By integrating our ThermalBattery™ into the oil treatment plant, steam was supplied on demand for on-site consumption and for electricity production with a Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST)-heated heat transfer fluid (HTF).
Reducing fossil fuel consumption across its oil treatment and refinery assets is an elementary contributor to Eni’s objective of reaching net zero emissions in its upstream business by 2030. Due to the simple integration and fully automated operation of the ThermalBattery™ in this demonstration project, security of supply was increased and constant, stable steam production was ensured regardless of sun radiation fluctuations.
This set the basis for future rollout of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology in conjunction with thermal energy storage solutions. Eni is now also considering the integration of ThermalBattery™ with gas-fired co-generation plants.
Already today, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) allows for energy storage as an integrated part of solar plants, enabling on-demand dispatch of electricity or heat during peak hours, or even 24/7 base-load operation. However, current thermal energy storage solutions such as molten salts limit the scaling and long-term economic viability of such systems.
Our technology offers a better solution. A key lever to realize affordable and reliable energy storage, it also comes at a lower CAPEX and OPEX.
Storing thermal oil and turning it to power on demand is the technology of choice to enable the most cost-effective utilization of CSP assets: Increasing CSP flexibility and output, and lowering total costs.
Application Benefits
Decarbonize heat immediately- Save money easily
- Reduce maintenance effort
The sun has incredible power. Especially south of the 45th latitude, Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) power using parabolic through-systems will be among the cheapest technologies to produce carbon-free industrial process heat.
But without storage, customers are left with a cold dark night ahead when the CST plant does not produce anymore, but process heat and steam is needed. Storing solar thermal as steam is the technology of choice to best utilize CST assets, recycling excess energy for steam production – enabling true decarbonization.
Application Benefits
- Decarbonize heat immediately
- Save money easily
- Reduce maintenance effort
- Limit energy market exposure
More Case Studies
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YARA: Steam grid balancing in integrated chemical plant unlocks new energy flexibility
Integrating a 4 MWh ThermalBatteryTM, directly connecting to the steam grid at one of Yara’s international production facilities.
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MASDAR: First ThermalBattery™ success in a live setting opens new horizons
In 2015, EnergyNest installed and commissioned our ThermalBattery pilot with combined capacity of 1 MWhth at the Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP) in UAE.
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Avery Dennison: Balancing CST production gives sustainability boost to adhesive factory
The production unit of Avery Dennison in Belgium is shifting their heat production from natural gas (NG) to Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST).
