Rio Tinto
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Rio Tinto and Rondo Energy plan thermal battery at Queensland alumina refinery to cut 67,000 tonnes CO2 annually
Rio Tinto and California based Rondo Energy have begun engineering and design work on a thermal energy storage system at the Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone, Queensland. The heat battery would use cheap midday electricity to heat refractory bricks, then release stored heat to produce steam for the refinery after sunset, supplying around 5% of Yarwun's steam needs and cutting direct emissions by approximately 67,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year by displacing coal and natural gas. Rondo describes the project as Australia's largest planned thermal energy storage system and a first for the alumina industry, which globally accounts for roughly 175 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually from refining.
Why it matters
The project demonstrates how industrial facilities with high continuous heat demand can use thermal storage to shift electricity consumption to off peak solar hours, creating a commercial model for large scale energy storage beyond batteries. For procurement teams and energy infrastructure developers, thermal storage at industrial sites represents a growing opportunity to support grid flexibility and decarbonisation in heavy industry.