Thermal Battery Solutions for Saxony's Industry
Your Partner for Thermal Battery Solutions in Saxony
In the heart of Germany's high-tech revolution, VIRDI delivers the key technology to decarbonize industrial process heat across Saxony. Our thermal battery solutions empower the state's world-leading industries to replace fossil fuels, harnessing growing renewable energy resources from post-mining landscapes to generate reliable, high-temperature steam and drive a successful Strukturwandel (structural change).
Specifically for businesses in Saxony's key sectors, including the "Silicon Saxony" microelectronics cluster, automotive manufacturing, and chemical production, replace your volatile gas supply with stable, low-cost heat derived from the grid and achieve your decarbonization targets with confidence.
Create a new, profitable market for your power generation assets. Couple your large-scale solar farm in the Lausitz region with our thermal battery (Power-to-Heat) to supply Saxony's industrial base with valuable, 24/7 process heat.
By integrating our bGen™ system, you can provide industrial clients in Saxony with forward-looking "Heat-as-a-Service" (HaaS) solutions. This innovative model allows you to deliver sustainable, cost-efficient, and flexible thermal energy—without requiring upfront capital investments from your clients. Position your business at the forefront of the energy transition, strengthen long-term customer relationships, and unlock new revenue streams with HaaS contracts tailored to industrial demand.
Why Decarbonizing Process Heat is a Strategic Priority in Saxony
The electrification of industrial heat is a decisive lever for a successful and prosperous economic future in Saxony. For local industries, this presents a clear strategic imperative as the state undergoes its historic transformation.
Powering Europe's High-Tech Hub "Silicon Saxony" is a global leader in the semiconductor industry, with manufacturing processes that demand an exceptionally stable and clean energy supply. Thermal batteries provide a reliable source of electrified process heat, crucial for these sensitive operations and for meeting the sustainability demands of the global tech market.
Driving a Successful "Strukturwandel" As Saxony transitions from its legacy of lignite (brown coal) mining, clean technologies are the key to a successful economic future. Thermal batteries create a high-value use for the massive solar parks being built on post-mining landscapes, generating sustainable savings for local businesses and symbolizing a modern, green industrial era.
Providing Energy Security and Cost Stability The state's industrial base is highly exposed to volatile natural gas prices. Thermal batteries offer a stable, electrified alternative, providing long-term cost predictability for essential process heat and insulating businesses from geopolitical energy risks.
Capitalizing on Vast Renewable Potential The redevelopment of former mining areas provides Saxony with a unique opportunity to build some of Europe's largest solar farms. Our thermal batteries are designed to capture this abundant, low-cost electricity and convert it into high-value, dispatchable heat for 24/7 industrial operations.
VIRDI provides the technology and expertise to implement the industrial heat transition in Saxony reliably and economically.
At the core of our solution is the innovative bGen™ technology from our partner Brenmiller Energy. It enables a highly efficient and cost-effective electrification of your heat-dependent processes, turning renewable electricity into industrial-grade steam.
Our thermal batteries use electric heaters, powered by low-cost electricity from the grid, to heat a storage medium of crushed rock to very high temperatures. This stored heat is then used on demand to generate high-temperature steam (up to 550°C) for your industrial processes, reliably and with zero on-site emissions. It's a simple, robust, and highly effective way to replace your gas boilers.
Thanks to a modular design that is scalable from 10 MWh to over 1 GWh, the system can be flexibly tailored to your specific heat demand at your facility in Saxony. The integration into your existing steam infrastructure is fast and designed to minimize operational downtime, ensuring a smooth transition.
We offer two options for your project in Saxony to best suit your financial strategy: the direct purchase of the system (CAPEX), or our "Heat-as-a-Service" (HaaS) model, an energy service contract where you only pay for the heat you consume (OPEX), avoiding the upfront investment entirely.
Your Advantages with VIRDI Thermal Batteries
Choosing to electrify your heat with VIRDI's thermal batteries provides a range of powerful, long-term advantages for your business.
Unmatched Durability and Long Lifespan The bGen™ technology uses natural, non-degrading materials like crushed rock. This allows for an operational lifetime of over 30 years without the cycle degradation known from chemical batteries, ensuring a reliable and long-lasting asset for your facility.
Maximum Cost-Effectiveness With a competitive cost per unit of stored energy (kWh) and the ability to charge using low-cost electricity from the grid, our systems are an economically attractive and often cheaper alternative to conventional gas boilers over the project's lifetime.
Low Supply Chain and Material Risk We use low-cost, globally abundant materials like steel and rock, avoiding the supply chain volatility and ethical concerns associated with materials like cobalt or lithium. Our partnership with Brenmiller Energy's gigafactory ensures unrivaled production capacity and supply chain security.
Zero On-Site Emissions Our technology allows you to replace fossil fuels one-for-one and completely eliminate the CO₂ emissions from your on-site heat generation. This will decisively accelerate the achievement of your company's decarbonization goals and strengthen your position as a sustainable leader in Saxony.
We have streamlined our development process into four clear and simple phases, ensuring transparency and partnership at every step.
The journey begins when you contact us. Our engineers provide a no-obligation analysis of your specific heat requirements, steam parameters, and operational processes to determine the ideal system for your needs.
Based on the analysis, we design the optimal thermal storage system for your facility and provide a detailed technical and commercial proposal, outlining the costs, savings, and benefits.
The modular components are manufactured and then expertly integrated into your plant's infrastructure in Saxony by our team of specialists, with a clear plan to minimize disruption.
We commission the system and ensure its long-term high performance and efficiency through our dedicated service offerings, providing you with reliable, clean heat for decades to come.
Decarbonize Your Industrial Heat in Germany's High-Tech Heartland!
Switching to clean process heat is the next logical step to securing your competitive advantage. Contact us for a no-obligation technical consultation and learn how our thermal storage solutions can advance your business in Saxony.
Frequently Asked Questions
A thermal battery is a system that converts electrical energy into storable high-temperature heat. It uses electricity to heat a solid-state storage medium (like crushed rock). This heat can then be dispatched on demand, typically as steam, for use in industrial processes.
It is ideal for any energy-intensive industry requiring process heat or steam. In Saxony, this is particularly relevant for the "Silicon Saxony" microelectronics cluster, the automotive industry, chemical production, and the food and beverage sector.
In this model, VIRDI (or a partner) invests in and operates the thermal battery on your site. As the customer, you make no upfront investment (CAPEX) and simply pay a contractually agreed price for the amount of heat you actually use (OPEX), similar to a natural gas supply contract.
The main difference is purpose and durability. Lithium-ion batteries store electricity to discharge it as electricity. Our thermal battery converts electricity to heat, which is far more efficient for thermal processes. Furthermore, it uses robust, non-degrading materials for a 30+ year lifespan, whereas lithium-ion batteries degrade with each charge cycle.
The footprint is relatively small thanks to the compact, modular design. The exact space requirement depends on the needed storage capacity. The system can be flexibly adapted to the conditions at your plant site in Saxony, including integration into existing industrial facilities.