ARENA is funding a pilot project to generate steam from stored thermal energy.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $1.27 million in funding for MGA Thermal to help demonstrate their thermal energy storage technology.

The Medium Duration Thermal Energy Storage demonstrator (MDTES), with an expected budget of $2.85 million, will be located at the company’s head office and manufacturing facility near Newcastle, NSW.

The pilot site has a planned storage capacity of 5 MWh and will demonstrate charging and discharging of up to 500 kW.

It is hoped that the demonstration will provide valuable performance data and a tangible demonstration of the technology for prospective customers. 

Data gathered will cover the charging and discharging behaviour, fluid dynamics and temperature distributions, and validate the efficacy of mid-to-long term thermal storage in a practical system.

Miscibility Gap Alloy (MGA) technology consists of small particles of an alloy embedded within graphite-based blocks which are enclosed within a fully insulated system. Electrical heating elements superheat the alloy to an operating temperature of 400-700℃, while the graphite matrix contains the molten alloy.

The MGA blocks can store heat for periods ranging from hours to days with minimal loss of energy. Heat exchangers use a transfer gas to absorb heat from the MGA blocks, with the heated gas or fluid suitable for industrial heat applications or to drive a steam turbine to generate electricity.

The versatile range of applications for the MGA blocks make it a promising solution to multiple decarbonisation challenges. Proving the generation of useful steam from stored thermal energy paves the way for wider implementations into industrial process heating, waste heat capture, and for use in mid to long term firming of grid scale electricity generation from renewable energy sources.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said MGA Thermal’s technology has significant potential to support the uptake of renewable energy.

“The electricity transition is going to require a variety of storage technologies that are able to discharge over a range of timeframes from hours to days,” Mr Miller says.

“MGA Thermal’s novel approach could make a real difference in the medium and longer term storage category, supporting hydrogen and pumped hydro.

“With potential deployments for industrial heating end uses, MGA Thermal could play a valuable role in decarbonising both the electricity grid and heavy industry, which often requires high temperature heat and steam for their manufacturing needs.”