SCG/Rondo Energy launch industrial heat battery; first in Asia

Thailand-based chemical firm SCG, through its subsidiary SCG Cleanergy, has joined hands with US developer of industrial heat battery technology Rondo Energy to launch what they say is Southeast Asia’s first industrial heat battery at SCG’s cement plant in Saraburi Province.

This breakthrough innovation enables continuous 24-hour clean energy storage and usage in industrial operations, strengthening business competitiveness and accelerating the transition toward a low-carbon economy across the region.

The battery is designed as a modular system that can be configured and scaled to suit different industrial applications, ensuring maximum efficiency for each project. Its operation consists of three key stages:

• Charge: The system is charged with electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy, or from the grid, typically for six to eight hours per day.
• Store: The clean electricity is converted into heat through radiant heating elements with zero energy loss, then stored in thermal media capable of maintaining temperatures up to 1,500°C for several days.
• Discharge: The battery continuously delivers heat for steam generation with an efficiency of up to 97%, enabling uninterrupted 24-hour operation.

The battery has been installed at SCG’s cement plant in Saraburi, where large-scale high-temperature process heat is required. The project enhances the plant’s ability to replace fossil-based heat with clean thermal energy in its production process.

SCG Cleanergy plans to expand this solution to other SCG operations and industrial clients across ASEAN, aiming for commercial-scale implementation by 2026.

Eric Trusiewicz, Chief Executive Officer of Rondo Energy, added “Rondo’s Heat Battery technology has been proven in operation, demonstrating its ability to convert ‘clean electricity’ into stored ‘clean heat’ for industrial use. The unit at SCG’s cement plant in Saraburi is currently the only heat battery in the world capable of generating high-pressure steam for real industrial production, using Rondo Heat Battery (RHB33) technology.”

He added that together with SCG Cleanergy, the company had successfully built this first-of-its-kind system within eight months, utilising almost entirely local manufacturers and suppliers.

This pioneering project also received research funding from the Science, Research, and Innovation Promotion Fund through the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness Enhancement (PMUC). The initiative highlights strong public–private sector collaboration in accelerating the adoption of clean energy technologies that support measurable industrial decarbonisation, strengthen energy security, and improve cost management flexibility.

The technology can be applied across various sectors, including food, packaging, chemical, cement, and construction materials, said Rondo.