Imagine a giant battery, but for heat instead of electricity. It saves extra warmth from the summer and keeps it underground so you can use it to heat buildings in the winter. This project is building two different versions of these 'heat batteries' to see which one works best for different locations.
Renewable energy is variable, creating a gap between when heat is produced and when it is needed. Current storage solutions are often too expensive or inefficient for seasonal use.
Two full-scale seasonal thermal energy storage demonstrators: a water-gravel system (Reno-sTES) and a cavern system (Giga-CTES), supported by a digital twin for performance monitoring.
If you are a municipal energy utility dealing with winter heating peaks — this project developed Reno-sTES and Giga-CTES that allow for load-shifting. This ensures you can store excess summer heat to reduce costs during winter.
If you are an infrastructure developer dealing with high construction costs for energy sites — this project developed a water-gravel storage system that reuses existing materials. This follows circular economy principles to lower the environmental impact of new builds.
If you are a plant operator dealing with variable energy production — this project developed a digital twin and full-scale demonstrators. This allows you to optimize the storage of thermal energy for later use, increasing the usability of your plant.
The project focuses on improving cost efficiency and competitiveness through techno-economic optimization. It specifically uses reused materials in the Reno-sTES variant to lower expenses.
Yes, the project is implementing full-scale realizations. This includes the Giga-CTES, which is described as the world's largest cavern thermal energy storage system.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on technology transfer measures to ensure high exploitability and market acceptance, though specific licensing terms are not listed.
The Reno-sTES site targets completion by autumn 2025, while the Giga-CTES site is expected to be commissioned in 2028.
The project uses a digital twin for scalable evaluation and connects storage units to energy systems to enable peak-shaving and load-shifting.
The project is heavily industry-driven with a 53% industry ratio, comprising 8 industrial partners including 4 SMEs. This strong commercial presence, combined with 3 universities and 3 research centers across 9 countries, suggests a high priority on market readiness and practical technology transfer rather than pure academic research.
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