Kira Rundel of Rondo Energy discusses the role of thermal batteries in industrial decarbonization across Southeast Asia. (Photo: Rondo)
When Rondo Energy switched on the world’s first cement heat battery in Thailand in November 2025, it offered a glimpse of how one of industry’s most stubborn emissions problems might finally be tackled.
As one of Southeast Asia’s major manufacturing hubs, Thailand faces rapidly rising energy demand while coming under increasing pressure to cut emissions from industrial heat, which accounts for a large share of heavy industry’s carbon footprint. Tighter climate targets and supply chain decarbonization requirements are accelerating the search for solutions that can deliver clean heat without disrupting core operations.
In an interview with RECCESSARY, Kira Rundel, Rondo’s director of business development for Australia and Asia-Pacific, explained how thermal batteries, built from familiar industrial materials and designed to integrate with existing systems, could offer a scalable pathway for decarbonizing industrial heat across Southeast Asia.