A US Energy Storage Startup Will Decarbonize Beer In Europe

US energy storage startup Rondo Energy is expanding its innovative “Heat Battery” technology to Europe, aiming to decarbonize industrial heat processes by replacing gas with renewable energy. The company’s system uses advanced firebrick-based thermal storage to absorb electricity—primarily from solar power during off-peak times—and release high-temperature steam on demand. This approach is being deployed at Heineken’s brewery near Lisbon, Portugal, with a 100 megawatt-hour heat battery funded through the EU-Catalyst partnership, supported by Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and the European Investment Bank. This project represents the first large-scale application of brick-type thermal energy storage in Europe’s beverage industry and could serve as a model for broader industrial decarbonization. Rondo has rapidly scaled its technology since raising $60 million in 2023 from a high-profile group of investors including Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The system has already been commissioned in California for biofuel and enhanced oil recovery operations,