Rio Tinto studies a 360 MWh brick thermal battery for its alumina refinery in Australia
Rio Tinto and US-based Rondo Energy are designing a 360 MWh thermal battery for the Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone (Queensland, Australia). The system heats refractory bricks with electricity, mainly solar, and delivers heat of up to 1,000 °C to generate industrial steam. According to Rio Tinto, it would cover about 5% of the plant's steam needs and avoid some 67,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is funding the feasibility study.
In 40 seconds
- The battery would store 360 MWh thermal and supply up to 30 MW of thermal power, with 78 MW of electrical charging capacity.
- Rondo Energy heats refractory bricks with electricity to deliver heat of up to 1,000 °C and produce industrial steam.
- Rio Tinto estimates it would cover about 5% of the Yarwun refinery's steam and avoid some 67,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
IASummary generated by artificial intelligence from a story by Híbridos y Eléctricos. It may contain errors: the original source prevails.




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