A breath of high temperature steam: this is the image that comes to mind for a layman when faced with the innovative system born from the collaboration between the Magaldi Group and Enel. Image not far from reality. Enel and the global leader group in the handling of material at very high temperatures, specialized in the development of technologies for the generation and storage of clean energy, have proposed the MGTES system (acronym for Magaldi Green Thermal Energy Storage), patented by Magaldi. Built at the Magaldi Power plant in the Industrial Development Area (ASI) of the Salerno municipality, it is a thermal storage system powered by a photovoltaic system, capable of storing energy and releasing it in the form of high-temperature steam. The initiative is part of an agreement which aims to identify and build the first plants in Italy for the decarbonisation of thermal industrial processes.
The “sand batteries” and the world patent
The technology, covered by a worldwide patent, is based on a fluidized sand bed (“sand batteries”) which allows energy generated from renewable sources to be stored and released in the form of steam and other high temperature carriers, for applications with temperatures ranging from between 150°C and 400°C, a range that covers most industrial processes (estimated potential, in Italy alone: around 10TWh), already capable of reaching storage system temperatures above 600°C. This initiative will see Enel as an energy partner for the supply of electricity that powers the thermal battery (Power-to-heat), to produce steam at the desired temperatures and pressures for various industrial sectors, reducing gas consumption and stabilizing the price of gas. thermal energy.
Reduced consumption and fewer emissions
The first application case will see the supply of green thermal energy to satisfy the energy needs of the food industry I.GI, supplier of the Ferrero Group, based in the ASI of Buccino (Salerno). The project involves the construction of a 70 ton MGTES plant with a storage capacity of approximately 8 thermal MWh. It will come into operation in the first part of 2025 and will help reduce I.GI’s gas consumption by up to 15% and save over 600 tons of CO2 per year, replaced by renewable energy available around the clock.
