Cheaper heat storage could cut industry dependence on gas

A system that could combine renewable energy and thermal storage to reduce industrial use of fossil fuels to provide heat has been developed by scientists at the University of South Australia.

The process can deliver industrial heat temperatures of up to 700 degrees Celsius by using solar and wind energy combined with low-cost thermal heat storage.

Rhys Jacob, a researcher at the university’s school of engineering, says the system uses a packed bed of low-cost filler materials, such as rocks, to store heat.