Rondo Energy and SCG Cleanergy have announced the operational start of Southeast Asia’s first heat battery, charged from both the grid and a nearby solar farm.
The launch was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at SCG’s cement plant in Saraburi Province, Thailand.
The new unit is now delivering 2.3MWth of continuous steam, charged from both the grid and a nearby floating solar farm. The superheated steam drives a turbine, generating 24-hour clean electricity used directly in the cement production process.
Rondo CEO Eric Trusiewicz announced: “We’re launching our first unit that is part of our new modular sizing approach, our first heat battery in Southeast Asia, and the only one worldwide delivering high-pressure steam used for electric power generation.”
The 33MWh Rondo Heat Battery is the first built on the company’s new modular platform, which allows for unit sizing to range from 33MWh to over 1GWh using a “common design” and “common” supply chain.
The unit is integrated with the cement plant’s heat recovery system and is the only heat battery globally that drives a steam turbine.
Trusiewicz continued: “This project shows that powering industry with clean energy is not just possible – it’s economical and fast. Our team and SCG built this first-of-its-kind system in just eight months. It’s a model for how industry can go electric anywhere in the world.”
The partnership is now scaling up manufacturing and deployments to address the surging demand for industrial decarbonisation. SCG Cleanergy is developing new clean industrial heat projects powered by Rondo’s technology to serve customers across the region.
Attapong Sathitmanothum, CEO of SCG Cleanergy, commented on the wider significance of the deployment: “Integrating the Rondo Heat Battery marks a turning point for the Southeast Asian industry, because heat-intensive industries like textiles, chemicals, and food processing are growing rapidly here.
“This milestone also represents another important step toward achieving SCG’s Net Zero 2050 goal.”
