Thailand launches Southeast Asia’s first industrial heat battery to accelerate decarbonisation

At the forefront of industrial decarbonisation in Southeast Asia, the launch of the region’s first industrial heat battery at SCG’s cement plant in Saraburi, Thailand, marks a significant milestone. This collaboration between Rondo Energy and SCG Cleanergy exemplifies a pioneering approach to sustainable energy within heavy industries, particularly in heat-intensive sectors such as cement production.

The newly operational unit is a 33 MWh Rondo Heat Battery, engineered on Rondo’s advanced modular platform. Delivering 2.3 MWth of continuous superheated steam, the battery is charged through both the electrical grid and a nearby floating solar farm. This steam not only drives industrial processes but also powers a steam turbine that generates clean electricity round-the-clock. According to Rondo CEO Eric Trusiewicz at the inauguration, this project marks several firsts: the debut of Rondo’s flexible modular sizing approach, the company’s first heat battery in Southeast Asia, and uniquely, the only heat battery globally that drives high-pressure steam for electric power generation.

Rondo Energy’s new modular platform represents a versatile and scalable advancement in electric thermal energy storage (ETES). The design supports a spectrum of sizes, from 33 MWh units suitable for smaller industrial applications like food and beverage processing, to sprawling systems exceeding one gigawatt-hour designed for the largest chemical plants and metals refineries. This modularity coupled with a common core design and mass-manufactured components promises efficiency in supply chains and cost savings, which are critical for widespread industrial decarbonisation.

The collaboration between Rondo and SCG Cleanergy is anchored on local manufacturing, with the entire heat battery built in Thailand, leveraging regional supplier networks. SCG Cleanergy, a subsidiary of the century-old SCG conglomerate committed to “Inclusive Green Growth,” is expanding clean industrial heat projects across Southeast Asia using Rondo’s technology. SCG’s CEO Attapong Sathitmanothum underscored the importance of this technology for growing heat-intensive industries in the region, such as textiles, chemicals, and food processing, in alignment with SCG’s Net Zero 2050 ambitions. This partnership also situates Thailand as a rising global hub for clean heat manufacturing and innovation.

Further reinforcing the regional impact, SCG and Rondo Energy have revealed ambitious plans to scale up heat battery manufacturing capacity in Thailand to 90 GWh annually, which would surpass any existing battery production facility worldwide. Currently, the site maintains a 2.4 GWh per year capacity. This massive expansion aims to cut 12 million tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to taking more than 4 million internal combustion engine vehicles off the roads. SCG’s extensive technical expertise in refractory materials and industrial supply chains complements Rondo’s innovative thermal storage technology, ensuring both speed and reliability in deployment.

The partnership is part of a broader investment strategy where SCG joins forces with other major backers such as Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Energy Impact Partners to accelerate zero-carbon industrial production. They plan to deploy Rondo’s Heat Battery technology across multiple SCG business sectors including cement, chemicals, paper, and packaging. This industrial-scale renewable solution aims for rapid, reliable decarbonisation while maintaining operational continuity, highlighting the potential of thermal energy storage to integrate intermittent renewable electricity into continuous industrial heat processes at scale.

Industry experts note that Rondo’s heat battery uses durable, proven materials like mass-manufactured bricks and wire heating elements to store electric energy as high-temperature heat, capable of delivering temperatures up to 1500°C. Unlike other storage solutions, thermal batteries provide an electric heat generation method perfectly suited for replacing fossil fuel combustion in industrial processes without disruptive operational changes. This flexibility is crucial as industries transition toward electrification and sustainability.

Thailand’s heat battery project exemplifies how industrial-scale ETES can economically transform energy systems. The rapid eight-month build period demonstrates that deploying clean heat technologies can be both timely and financially viable, setting a replicable model for industries worldwide.

In summary, the Rondo-SCG heat battery in Thailand stands as a comprehensive case study in industrial decarbonisation: a modular, scalable technology embedded in local supply chains, powered by renewables, driving continuous clean steam and power generation, and aligning with robust regional sustainability targets. As industries seek pathways to net-zero emissions, this initiative offers a significant leap forward in practical, impactful energy transition solutions.