Covestro breaks ground on ‘heat battery’ at German site

Leverkusen, Germany – Covestro has broken ground on a heat battery project at its Brunsbuettel site in northern Germany, marking a step towards lower-emission steam generation at the facility, the company said on 19 Jan.

Developed with Rondo Energy, the project centres on a 100 MWh “Rondo heat battery” that will store electricity during periods of surplus renewable power and release it as high-temperature steam for industrial processes.

Covestro said the system is scheduled to enter operation by the end of 2026 and will be capable of supplying around 10% of the site’s steam demand.

According to Covestro, the heat battery is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 13,000 tonnes per year by replacing part of the site’s fossil fuel-based steam generation.

Steam at the Brunsbuettel site is currently produced using natural gas and represents a significant share of the facility’s energy consumption.

Covestro said it will assess whether the technology can be deployed on a larger scale at other sites based on operating experience at Brunsbuettel.

Operational since 1977, the site has a capacity to produce 400ktpa of MDI to be used for foam component in Europe.