HEAT STORAGE 100 MWh heat battery powered by solar

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Rondo Energy, and EDP have contracted to deploy a 100 MWh Rondo Heat Battery (RHB) at Central de Cervejas e Bebidas Brewery and Malting Plant, part of HEINEKEN Company in Portugal. The installation will be the largest heat battery in the beverage industry worldwide, providing continuous, renewable steam to HEINEKEN's local operation.

The Rondo Heat Battery charges with intermittent electricity, converts and stores that energy as high-temperature heat, and delivers safe, 24-hour, zero-carbon steam. It is designed to reduce or eliminate reliance on traditional fossil-fired boilers. At the Lisbon site, the heat battery will provide 7 MWs of steam for brewing processes, charged by renewable electricity supplied through the grid and by on-site solar. EDP will supply HEINEKEN with this steam under a Heat-as-a-Service model, with Rondo providing the battery and EDP supplying the solar installation and complementing electricity through the grid.

Slashing the brewery's emissions comes without changing HEINEKEN's operations: the Rondo-provided steam is identical to fossil-fired steam, but the carbon emissions are not.

"By combining our strengths with EDP and Rondo, we're unlocking new ways to power our brewery operations more efficiently," said Magne Setnes, Chief Supply Chain Officer at HEINEKEN. "This project not only helps us reduce our reliance on conventional energy, it shows how practical innovation and strong partnerships can deliver meaningful improvements across our supply chain."

HEINEKEN's Lisbon facility has already decided to use on-site solar for power, and electric heat pumps for its hot water needs. The heat battery opens a new path to deep decarbonization, by delivering what has been one of the hardest-to-decarbonize brewery needs: high-temperature steam.

This deployment supports HEINEKEN's "Brew a Better World" strategy, which includes a net zero ambition across its value chain by 2040 starting by decarbonizing all its production sites by 2030.

The project taps into the attractive solar resource in Portugal to help Portugal deliver on its ambitious decarbonization plans, including a 55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

How The Rondo Battery Works

The Rondo Heat Battery charges with intermittent and low-cost electricity, stores electricity as heat in refractory brick, and delivers steam on-demand at any conditions up to over 100 bar, with no combustion and no emissions. It can deliver continuous 24-hour steam, heat and/or electricity, serving as a drop-in replacement for fossil fuel-fired boilers or cogeneration systems.

By pairing intermittent and low-cost electricity with the Rondo Heat Battery, industries can replace fossil fuels while maintaining round-the-clock operations. Globally, electrifying heat could reduce industrial emissions by gigatons and reshape the energy landscape.

OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES

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European Investment Bank & Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Support

This project is backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst as part of an EU–Catalyst partnership investment of €75 million announced in 2024 to scale Rondo's heat battery deployments across Europe.

"Boosting competitiveness and decarbonizing Europe's industry through affordable renewable energy is a key priority for the EIB Group," said EIB Vice President Karl Nehammer. "Through our new Climate Bank Roadmap, we are prioritizing innovative solutions such as Rondo's heat battery. This project is exactly the kind of public-private partnership we aim to support more of in the future."

"Rondo's heat batteries offer a unique pathway toward energy security for European industry, allowing companies like Heineken to implement a solution that is affordable, reliable, and clean," said Mario Fernandez, Head of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst. "Catalyst exists to accelerate the deployment of critical technologies, and we are thrilled to support a project, along with our European Partners, that can provide round-the-clock decarbonized heat for manufacturing in this moment of need."

Iberia's "Untapped" Industrial Advantage

Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Jenny Chase has pointed out that solar power is changing the world, observing that "by 2030, in most countries on a sunny day for a few hours, wholesale electricity will be free." The Rondo Heat Battery harvests this electricity with a cost of storage lower than any chemical battery, to supply energy low enough in cost to replace fossil fuel steam.

Charging during the cheapest 6 hours of electricity per day, the heat battery converts this low-cost, intermittent renewable electricity into low-cost, 24-hour heat and steam for industry. The system also offers highly flexible demand to the grid that not only soaks up electricity when solar is abundant, it also uses the network outside of peak demand, making better use of the existing electricity network.

COOLING TECHNOLOGY

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"Iberia can be Europe's low-cost and low-carbon industrial manufacturing base," said Eric Trusiewicz, CEO of Rondo Energy. "We are thrilled to be installing our first Rondo Heat Battery in Iberia, and to support HEINEKEN to reach its goals. We look forward to helping industries across Iberia cut costs and carbon, and help Iberia capitalize on the opportunity."

This project will serve as a model for other industries – from dairies and food processing to pulp and paper, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. With many Iberian facilities having space for solar installations on-site or near-site, and growing access to inexpensive renewable electricity through the grid, the region can emerge as Europe's gateway to cost-competitive, clean energy for industry.

Rondo and EDP's Heat-as-a-Service Model to HEINEKEN

This project is delivered under a Heat-as-a-Service (HaaS) model. The heat battery is combined with EDP's own investments in on-site solar, electrical system upgrade and grid electricity supply, all to deliver steam directly to HEINEKEN. This turnkey package solution – combining heat storage, on-site renewable supply, and grid electricity optimization – allows companies like HEINEKEN to adopt advanced technology without operational complexity. The involvement of two of the world's leading companies – HEINEKEN in food and beverage and EDP in energy systems – is a testament to the breadth of benefits that heat batteries can bring to industrial facilities, renewable developers, and grid operators.

"At EDP, we believe the future of industry will be driven by partnerships and breakthrough ideas. Deploying the world's largest heat battery in the beverage sector – integrated into a brewery solution and powered by solar panels and a complementary green PPA – is not just about technology; it is about proving what is possible when we dare to push the boundaries. Together with HEINEKEN and Rondo, we are raising the bar for sustainability, one pint at a time," states Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, CEO of EDP.

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