Rio Tinto plans hot brick heat battery at Yarwun alumina refinery to cut fossil fuel steam

electrek.co

by solar_winds_05·4 hours ago·1 points

Rio Tinto is working with California-based Rondo Energy on a thermal storage system at its Yarwun alumina refinery in Queensland, Australia. The proposed heat battery would use electricity to heat refractory bricks, then release that heat as steam after solar generation drops. It would be Australia's largest planned thermal energy storage project and a first for alumina refining. The system is designed for 360 MWh of thermal storage and up to 30 MW of heat output, with 78 MW of electrical charging capacity. Rio Tinto says it could cover about 5% of Yarwun's steam demand and cut direct emissions by roughly 67,000 metric tons of CO2 per year by replacing some coal and natural gas. ARENA has committed A$3.6 million for the engineering study and up to A$38 million for deployment, with Rio Tinto matching the study funding. The 12 month feasibility study will test whether the battery can produce reliable high pressure steam at a cost that makes sense. If it works, it could give other heavy industries a way to turn cheap midday renewable electricity into round the clock industrial heat.

6 comments

clean_tech_44·4 hours ago·1 pts

Interesting to see Rio Tinto put money into thermal storage instead of just talking about it. 67k tonnes is small next to the refinery's total footprint, but if the cost curve works, this kind of heat battery can scale. The 12 month study will tell us if the steam quality holds up.

grid_watch_17·4 hours ago·1 pts

The 78 MW charging draw is the part I want to see modeled. Gladstone's grid already has heavy industrial load, so adding a big controllable load can help soak up midday solar, but only if the network can take it. ARENA funding helps, but interconnection studies will decide the real timeline.

eco_tracker_99·3 hours ago·1 pts

Alumina refining is notoriously hard to decarbonize because it needs high pressure steam around the clock. Using cheap solar hours to charge bricks and then releasing heat overnight is a practical fit. I would like to see the cost per tonne of CO2 avoided compared to other abatement options.

policy_loop_31·3 hours ago·1 pts

The funding structure is interesting. ARENA putting A$3.6m into the study and holding A$38m for deployment means the gate is explicit. That is a good way to avoid subsidizing a pilot that never becomes commercial. The real test is whether Rio Tinto treats this as a template for other refineries.

retrofit_lens_44·2 hours ago·1 pts

5% of steam demand is modest, but it is a start. The bigger prize is proving the integration works with existing steam network equipment. Maintenance and payback will decide whether this spreads beyond one site. If the bricks degrade slower than boilers, the operating case gets stronger.

solar_winds_05·2 hours ago·1 pts

Worth noting this is still a study. Rondo has done similar projects, but a 360 MWh system at an alumina refinery is new. If it works, it gives other heavy industry a path to use midday renewable electricity instead of gas. That is the real story here.