HWI (Calderys group) has made a strategic manufacturing partnership with Electrified Thermal Solutions, a leader in electrified heating and thermal energy storage solutions. The collaboration will develop and produce electrically conductive firebricks (E-bricks) which will be used in Electrified Thermal’s Joule HiveTM Thermal Battery.
The Joule Hive Thermal Battery takes in electricity, then converts and stores it as heat through the E-bricks at temperatures up to 1800°C (3275°F), hot enough to power even the most demanding industrial processes. This capability allows customers to deliver consistent, high-temperature heat using renewable electricity at lower cost than traditional fossil fuels.
The E-bricks will be manufactured at HWI’s production facilities, combining Electrified Thermal’s technology, developed at MIT, with HWI’s 160 years of refractory expertise. By leveraging this strategic collaboration, Electrified Thermal and HWI will demonstrate a viable pathway to reduce costs and mitigate emissions across energy-intensive industries. Electrified Thermal’s first commercial-scale demonstration is expected to be operational in 2025, with the goal of deploying 2GW of electrified thermal power by 2030.
"Industrial heat represents one of the most challenging frontiers in the world's effort to address climate change. The majority of energy used annually for industrial heating worldwide comes from burning fossil fuels,” said Daniel Stack, co-founder and CEO of Electrified Thermal Solutions. “To make a meaningful impact at global scale, we needed a solution that could be produced rapidly through existing supply chains. Our partnership with HWI transforms what could have been a manufacturing bottleneck into a powerful scaling advantage, allowing us to meet the multi-gigawatt demand we're seeing from industrial customers worldwide."
Ben Stanton, director, Applications Technology for Thermal Markets, EEC and C/I Network, highlighted the technical synergy behind the partnership: "For generations, HWI has been developing advanced refractory solutions for the most demanding applications in industry. Electrified Thermal's E-Brick material is a breakthrough in refractory technology that maintains the high-temperature durability required by customers, while also generating the heat to run their processes. This partnership aligns perfectly with our group’s commitment to supporting our customers through their energy transition journey."
