Central de Cervejas e Bebidas, the brewery and malting plant of the Heineken Group in Portugal, has signed an agreement with American manufacturer Rondo Energy and Portuguese utility EDP to install a 100 MWh thermal battery at its Lisbon plant.
The companies said the system will be one of the largest thermal batteries in the global drinks industry and marks Portugal’s first major heat purchase agreement, a model that combines renewable energy generation with on-site heat storage. The project is still subject to standard administrative and regulatory approvals.
Under the terms of the deal, EDP will build a 7 MWp solar power plant on the brewery site to power Rondo’s thermal battery. The system stores renewable electricity as high-temperature heat and provides continuous, carbon-free steam, replacing fossil fuel boilers. Using refractory bricks to store energy, the battery can supply steam on demand at pressures above 100 bar and operate continuously for up to 24 hours – without combustion or emissions.
The battery will also be charged with renewable electricity from the grid through a flexible long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) between Central de Cervejas e Bebidas and EDP, covering approximately 25 GWh per year.
Central de Cervejas e Bebidas already operates two solar power plants built by EDP, with a combined capacity of 2 MWp. The company said the project could serve as a model for other energy-intensive industries, including food and beverage, paper, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
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