Saudi Arabia eyes Bill Gates-backed 'brick battery' to help green its oil giant
Thermal brick battery developed by California start-up Rondo aims to decarbonise Aramco operations
A pioneering 'brick battery' that has received backing from Bill Gates, Microsoft and the US government has been picked up by oil giant Saudi Aramco to help decarbonise its operations.
Saudi Aramco has signed a memorandum of understanding to use the batteries developed by California-based Rondo Energy reduce emissions from its facilities.
The companies have started engineering studies for the first industrial-scale deployment of Rondo batteries, targeting up to 1GWh of energy storage capacity.
“Rondo is working with one of the world's biggest energy producers towards solving one of the world's biggest energy challenges – low-cost clean energy for industry,” said Rondo CEO John O'Donnell.
The signing on Friday was witnessed by US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm – who had been on a visit to Saudi Arabia to promote climate cooperation and diversify the energy mix of the country – and her Saudi counterpart Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.
The Rondo system uses electric heating elements, like those in a toaster or oven, to heat thousands of tons of brick up to temperatures of 1,500°C. Rondo says the bricks maintain the heat with less than 1% energy loss daily.
When heat is needed, air flows up through the brick stack and is superheated to over 1,000°C, before being delivered to the end point as superheated air or steam.
Rondo says its system is designed to drop into existing facilities or power new-builds, and offers a fast, low-cost pathway to decarbonisation and reduced operating costs.
The bricks can both “charge” and deliver heat simultaneously. Other claimed benefits include the abundant nature of the key materials and the safety of having no moving or flammable components. The batteries boast a 50-year lifespan.
Rondo’s latest tie-up will also see the companies assess the potential for additional use of the batteries at Aramco facilities worldwide, and explore the development of “novel applications” of the battery, such as for hydrogen production, carbon capture and direct air capture.