Israeli green thermal storage company opens first factory, in Dimona
Built with EU support, plant aims to produce systems capable of holding four gigawatts of clean energy by end of the year
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
Israeli thermal energy storage company Brenmiller Energy opened its first production plant Tuesday, in the southern Israeli city of Dimona.
The factory, built with the help of EU funds, aims to produce storage systems capable of holding four gigawatts of energy by the end of the year.
Brenmiller’s technology, already in use in Israel, the US, Romania, Italy and Brazil, seeks to help industry wean itself off fossil fuels.
The transition to renewable sources will depend on the ability to store energy for release during periods when the sun isn’t shining or the wind doesn’t blow.
Brenmiller’s units comprise electrical heaters and crushed rock in which energy can be stored at very high temperatures. The source of energy might be solar, wind, or the grid (during off-peak hours, when energy is relatively cheap). Heat can also be taken from exhaust pipes, for example, or from the burning of biomass (plant-based materials).
The energy can be released, whenever needed, as steam, hot water, or hot air. These are used for heating and sterilization in a variety of industrial settings, from manufacturing, food production and meat processing, to commercial laundries and hospitals.
Avi Brenmiller, the founder and CEO of the company, said, “What started as a family business has become a leading player in global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.”
The factory will allow the company to meet the growing demand for its systems, he went on, adding, “We produce clean storage from environmentally friendly materials to produce clean energy.”
Last year, Brenmiller listed its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange and is now traded simultaneously in New York and Tel Aviv.
The Environmental Protection Ministry will be putting NIS 2.2 million ($605,000) towards the installation of Brenmiller’s technology at the Tempo beverage manufacturing company in the coastal city of Netanya. This will provide up to 14 tons of steam per hour and be able to store 35 MegaWatt hours of energy.
