2022 Roundup: Azelio’s TES.POD® thermal energy storage system breaks new ground

During a year when climate and energy crises reinforced the need for reliable clean power, Azelio continued its commercial journey with orders received in key markets. The company also progressed projects in South Africa and Sweden, and successfully demonstrated the supply of heat in parallel to electricity from its TES.POD thermal energy storage system.

Azelio’s year began with an exciting development in Abu Dhabi. Two TES.POD units were inaugurated at the Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP). The units are demonstrating the company’s thermal energy storage technology in desert conditions, and undergoing evaluation by Khalifa University for inclusion in the Masdar product portfolio.

New developments in North America

In 2022 Azelio received its first U.S. order from Handi Stop Market in Fresno, California. Two TES.POD units will work with solar energy to cover half the demand of one of its service stations.

Hans Svanbom was appointed as U.S. Regional Director in June. This means that Azelio has a local presence and commercial directors in place for all its target markets.

Headway in North America was also made on a legislative front. The U.S. government passed the Inflation Reduction Act in August. This included spending on energy and climate change, and is expected to further increase demand for energy storage, such as Azelio’s TES.POD long-duration storage system.

Demonstrating combined heat and power

The annual harvest at Haneberg farm, Sweden, took place during the summer, but this year was different – Azelio’s TES.POD system was commissioned and put in operation to supply low-temperature heat in addition to electricity. The heat was used to dry grain, which improves quality and extends the storage period. The project was a collaboration with the Swedish Energy Agency, and the first demonstration of Azelio’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) application.

This was a landmark moment for Azelio. The provision of heat alongside clean electricity can maximise the efficiency of the TES.POD system up to 90%. This further strengthens the business case for industries including sustainable agriculture, and water desalination and purification.

Sharing technical knowledge

During 2022 the Long-duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council published a significant report on net-zero heat. Clean heat supply has huge potential as a means to achieve a carbon neutral energy sector. Azelio released its own white paper on the subject of CHP – one of two technical publications during the year – detailing the benefit for the Levelised Cost Of Electricity (LCOE).

Azelio’s other white paper centred on TES.POD cluster control. It described the development of a bespoke system to monitor and control units in operation and engage those best suited to deliver power to the demand. This coincided with the announcement in September of a collaboration between Azelio and Elum Energy. The companies will work together to develop control solutions for installations combining solar and long-duration energy storage.

Systems taken into operation

The third quarter saw a milestone in South Africa. Azelio’s system at farming company Wee Bee Ltd was commissioned and entered the start-up phase of the project. The commercial facility at Industrisupport i Åmål AB in Sweden was also commissioned and taken into operation during September.

The need for off grid clean power

Soaring heat and electricity costs, together with a climate emergency, brought energy related issues into sharp focus during 2022: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report reiterated the urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to a widespread use of renewable energy; the war in Ukraine served as a reminder of the importance of supply security and locally produced energy; and the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2022 called attention to the lack of investment in the global energy sector.

The message was clear: there has never been a greater need for the global deployment of long-duration energy storage. Such technologies provide decentralised renewable energy and around-the-clock clean power to those without stable grid access.

This was also a topic under discussion during COP27 in Egypt, which Azelio attended in November. Jonas Wallmander, Azelio’s CEO, observed that while the summit delivered mixed results on climate action, it still offered reasons to remain optimistic.

Renewable energy for desert agriculture

During the final quarter of the year, Azelio launched the SAVE Cleantech Utilities alliance together with Engazaat and Mascara NT. The alliance will enable farmers in desert conditions to access affordable Water-and-Energy-as-a-Service. This is an industry-first model, giving small agricultural businesses the means of accessing clean power and desalinated water on demand.

Another milestone was the world-first delivery by ALEC Energy of an off grid microgrid with TES.POD energy storage. The renewable system installed at the MBR Solar Park in Dubai, UAE, provides power to the Visitor Centre facility.

Azelio rounded off the year with the announcement of a first commercial order for the Australian market. The conditional order will provide Energy-as-a-Service based on five TES.POD units combined with solar, paving the way for further commercial traction in the region.

A bright outlook

As geopolitical developments continue to underline the need for cost-efficient, clean energy systems for all hours of the day, the platform is set for Azelio to build upon its achievements of the last twelve months. TES.POD long-duration energy storage is now installed, generating data, and supplying power to installations around the world. This provides the foundation for 2023, as the company continues its mission to shape the way societies use renewable energy.