Azelio launches electro-thermal storage system for commercial applications

Swedish thermal storage specialist Azelio has launched a new electro-thermal storage system for commercial applications at the ongoing Intersolar event in Munich, Germany.

The system works in four steps. First, it is charged by a renewable source of electricity, which is then stored in the form of heat in a recycled aluminum alloy, with a phase change at 600 degrees Celsius. The heat is in turn dispatched to a Stirling engine, which is a closed-cycle regenerative heat engine with a permanent gaseous working fluid. The engine generates usable heat with a temperature ranging from 55 to 65 degrees Celsius and electricity that can be utilized on demand at all hours of the day.

The system measures 2.810 x 2.67 x 3.65 m and has a nominal electrical output of 13 kW. One unit’s storage capacity reaches 165 kWh. A system combines units in clusters, for example in 20 units with a storage capacity of 3.3 MWh of electrical output, and thermal energy on top of that. The system is scalable in systems of up to 100 MW, with an initial commercial focus of up to 20 MW installations.

The manufacturer says the product is particularly suitable for commercial and industrial projects in unstable or off-grid locations with an economically viable renewable baseload source. However, the instability of grid prices and supply has enhanced the systems’ relevance also for grid-connected locations.

“The system is designed for daily cycles, which makes it suitable for systems combining solar PV for energy supply during daytime, while charging the storage,” the company's Director Communications and Marketing, Johan Sahlin, told pv magazine. “The TES.POD then supplies renewable energy during the night or when direct production is insufficient, completing the 24h cycle with renewable energy.”

Production of the TES.POD system was launched at the company's facilities in Sweden in mid-September. “The production chain consists of the assembly of cylinder kits in the company's facilities in Åmål, followed by the final assembly of a complete Stirling engine in its factory in Uddevalla,” the manufacturer said in a statement released at the time.

So far, the company has secured orders for two TES.POD units in Sweden and one unit in Dubai as well as a conditional 260 kW/3.3 MWh order from Egypt. “The company's goal for 2021 is to sign and begin delivery of one or two projects in the size of 100 kW or larger,” the company stated.