Electrifying industrial heat sounds straightforward: replace gas with renewable electricity and reduce emissions. In practice, it’s one of the hardest parts of the energy transition.
Industrial processes need reliable, high-temperature heat, often around the clock. Renewable electricity, on the other hand, is variable. Wind and solar don’t follow production schedules.
This gap between energy supply and industrial demand is where many electrification plans stall. High temperature heat storage is increasingly proving to be the missing link. It allows industry to use renewable electricity when it’s available, and high-temperature heat when it’s needed.
In this article, we look at how high temperature heat storage works, why it matters, and how our project in partnership with PepsiCo, Eneco, Kraftblock and Liander showcases its potential.
Why industrial heat is such a challenge
Industrial heat is not like office heating or residential hot water. Many processes require temperatures well above 200 °C and cannot simply be switched on and off.
Food production, chemicals, and materials processing often run 24/7. Any interruption in heat supply can lead to production losses, quality issues, or safety risks.
At the same time, renewable electricity production fluctuates constantly. Without flexibility, electrification either becomes unreliable or very expensive. High temperature heat storage helps bridge that gap.
What is high temperature heat storage?
High temperature heat storage converts electricity into heat and stores it at high temperatures, sometimes several hundred degrees Celsius. That stored heat can later be released directly into an industrial process.
The key advantage is timing. Instead of needing electricity exactly when heat is required, energy can be stored when renewable power is abundant and used later.
For heat-intensive processes, it is often a better fit than electrical batteries, as it is typically more cost-effective at industrial scale.
Flexibility is where the real value lies
Decarbonisation is important, but flexibility is what makes it work in practice.
With high temperature heat storage, industrial sites can:
- Charge storage when wind or solar power is available
- Run production independently of short-term electricity fluctuations
- Reduce exposure to high electricity prices
- Help relieve pressure on the electricity grid
As grids become more congested, this kind of flexibility is no longer a bonus. It’s becoming a requirement.
High temperature heat storage in action
At an industrial snack production site from PepsiCo in the Netherlands, high temperature heat storage is being used to electrify a gas-fired frying process operating at around 260 °C.
Renewable electricity is converted into heat and stored in a thermal battery. That heat is then discharged into the production process whenever it’s needed, allowing the factory to run continuously, even when renewable generation is low.
The system is designed with redundancy and buffering to ensure reliability. That’s a crucial point: industrial electrification only works if production remains stable and predictable.
Choosing the right solution takes system thinking
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for high temperature heat storage. The right design depends on process requirements, operating patterns, and economic constraints.
Key questions include:
- What temperature range is required?
- How fast does the system need to charge and discharge?
- How does storage interact with existing heat transfer systems?
- What does the cost curve look like at different scales?
Answering these questions usually means comparing multiple technologies and running many scenarios based on real production data. At TransitionHERO, we have a tool called optioneering that helps us gain overview of the best options per scenario.
What this means for industrial decarbonisation
High temperature heat storage is not a niche technology. It’s becoming a core building block for industrial electrification.
It enables:
- Deep reductions in fossil fuel use
- More efficient use of renewable electricity
- Greater resilience against grid constraints
- New ways of organising and contracting industrial energy systems
For industries aiming for net-zero targets, storage is increasingly part of the foundation, not an afterthought. High temperature heat storage makes it possible to align renewable energy with the reality of industrial operations. It turns variable electricity into reliable, high-temperature heat.
As more industries electrify, success will depend on designing systems that are flexible, robust, and grounded in real operating conditions.
Thinking about how high temperature heat storage could fit into your process or future plans?
We’re always happy to think along and share lessons from real industrial projects. Let us know how we can help you.