A 33 MWh thermal battery, powered by U.S. based Rondo Energy and integrated with a cement plant’s heat recovery system, has begun operating in Thailand. (Photo: Rondo Energy)
A 33 MWh thermal battery integrated with a cement plant’s heat recovery system has begun operating in Thailand. The deployment was built by U.S. thermal-energy-storage startup Rondo Energy in partnership with SCG Cleanergy. Rondo says the installation is the “world’s first commercial heat-battery system at a cement manufacturing facility,” and the company has plans to scale deployments further.
“This project shows that powering industry with clean energy is not just possible—it’s economical and fast,” said Rondo CEO Eric Trusiewicz. He added that the system was built in just eight months.
Locally manufactured system delivers 24/7 clean energy
The heat battery is now delivering 2.3 MWth of continuous steam, charged by both the grid and a nearby floating solar farm. Integrated with the cement plant’s existing heat recovery system, the unit supplies superheated steam to the facility’s steam turbine. This increases turbine output and enables the plant to generate both process heat and round-the-clock electricity.
The system also works by storing electrical energy as high-temperature heat in specialized refractory materials, then releasing that heat on demand to support industrial operations.
Cement production typically requires temperatures above 1400°C for clinker formation, making conventional electrification difficult. Thermal battery systems offer a pathway to replace fossil fuel combustion with stored renewable energy for these high-temperature applications. Rondo’s system can reach up to 1500°C.
The thermal battery was jointly manufactured by Rondo Energy and SCG Cleanergy, using Thailand’s local supply chains and production capabilities. (Photo: SCG)
The thermal battery was jointly manufactured by Rondo Energy and SCG Cleanergy, using Thailand’s local supply chains and production capabilities. SCG Cleanergy, a clean energy solutions subsidiary of SCG, a Thai industrial valve products manufacturer, said the partnership aims to scale up manufacturing and deployments to meet growing demand across heat-intensive industries such as textiles, chemicals, and food processing, according to SCG CEO Attapong Sathitmanothum.
Thermal storage emerging as a grid and industry solution
Thermal energy storage can serve both industrial heat needs and grid balancing functions. Thermal battery systems can be scheduled to charge during periods of surplus power, whether from co-located renewables or excess electricity on the grid, and can allow renewable generation to bypass the battery and feed directly into the grid when conditions are tight.
As demonstrated by Rondo’s system, thermal batteries can convert variable renewable energy such as solar into a steady supply of 24-hour heat. This enables industrial facilities to electrify high temperature processes while absorbing large volumes of renewable energy that would otherwise be curtailed. Depending on system configuration, thermal batteries can also provide net injections to the grid when such injections offer reliability or economic value.
Cost declines are expected to further accelerate adoption. According to the Renewable Thermal Collective, the manufacturing cost of a thermal battery, excluding installation, ranges from USD 85 to 210 per kWh for systems installed by 2025. This cost is projected to fall to USD 20 to 55 per kWh by 2035.
Many thermal battery companies remain in early commercialization stages but are beginning to benefit from economies of scale and lower installation expenses. Rondo plans to expand annual production capacity for its thermal storage technology to 90 GWh.
The manufacturing cost of a thermal battery is projected to fall to USD 20 to 55 per kWh by 2035, based on aggregated estimates from multiple thermal battery providers including Rondo Energy. (Chart: Renewable Thermal Collective)
The deployment aligns with broader market growth. The ASEAN energy storage market is estimated at USD 3.55 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 4.92 billion by 2030.
Source: Energy Storage News, Renewable Thermal Collective
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