NOC Energy to Activate Two Large Heat Storage Systems in France in May

NOC Energy is preparing to activate two large demonstration heat storage systems in France in May, TechCrunch reported. These systems are designed for industrial applications, specifically for a glass manufacturer and a cement producer. 5 meters across, packed with steel spheres.

Copper induction coils wrapped around the containers generate heat by passing electricity through them, warming the steel spheres inside. Air blown through the spheres extracts the stored heat for use in industrial processes such as glass kilns or cement plant sections.

The copper coils are embedded in half a meter of insulation, which keeps the coils at room temperature while enabling heat generation through electromagnetic waves.

This insulation also allows the system to store heat for hours. NOC Energy can customize the system size by stacking more container modules and adding more steel spheres to meet different heat storage duration requirements. Prior to the demonstration systems, NOC Energy ran a refrigerator-sized pilot-scale system continuously for 15,000 hours.

The two larger demonstration units in France are expected to begin operation in May. Specialized resistance heaters currently used in similar industrial applications last about 12 months at 1,000°C and only three months at 1,200°C, according to Ceballos, highlighting the potential durability advantage of NOC Energy's system.

“The insulation keeps the coils at room temperature while generating heat via electromagnetic waves to the steel spheres." — TechCrunch > "NOC Energy has run a refrigerator-size pilot-scale system for 15,000 hours." — TechCrunch > "The two demonstration systems should be switched on in May.”