Newcastle will be home to a pilot unit worth approximately $2.85 million that will demonstrate innovative thermal energy storage technology backed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
On Wednesday, the federal government announced ARENA would contribute $1.27 million toward the unit known as a Medium Duration Thermal Energy Storage demonstrator (MDTES).
The unit is the result of a research breakthrough from the University of Newcastle and has a planned storage capacity of 5 MWh with charging and discharging capabilities of up to 500 kW. Once constructed, it will be based at MGA Thermal’s manufacturing facility in NSW.
In a statement, ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the unique technology had enormous potential to support the uptake of renewable energy.
“MGA Thermal’s novel approach could make a real difference in the medium and longer-term storage category, supporting hydrogen and pumped hydro,” Miller said, noting the transition to more renewable energy sources needed various storage technologies which could discharge over a range of timeframes.
“With potential deployments for industrial heating end uses, MGA Thermal could play a valuable role in decarbonising both the electricity grid and heavy industry, which often requires high-temperature heat and steam for their manufacturing needs,” he said.
More than 60 GW of dispatchable generation and storage will be needed by the national electricity market by 2050, according to a 2022 integrated system plan developed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AMEO). To achieve this, more energy storage technology and solutions nationwide will be needed.
The MDTES pilot will provide performance data on charging and discharging behaviour, fluid dynamics and temperature distributions, and validate the efficacy of mid-to-long term thermal storage in a practical system.
It will also offer a tangible demonstration of Miscibility Gap Alloy (MGA) technology for prospective customers.
An explainer developed by ARENA said MGA technology consisted of small particles of an alloy embedded within graphite-based blocks that were enclosed within a fully insulated system.
The pilot unit will show how the generation of useful steam from stored thermal energy can be applied.
“Electrical heating elements superheat the alloy to an operating temperature of 400-700℃, while the graphite matrix contains the molten alloy,” the explainer said.
“The MGA blocks can store heat for periods ranging from hours to days with minimal loss of energy. Heat exchangers use a transfer gas to absorb heat from the MGA blocks, with the heated gas or fluid suitable for industrial heat applications or to drive a steam turbine to generate electricity.”
MGA blocks are a versatile solution for multiple decarbonisation challenges, the agency added, with possible applications for industrial process heating, waste heat capture, and for use in mid to long-term firming of grid-scale electricity generation from renewable energy sources.
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