One of the world's first thermal energy storage system using molten hydroxide salts has been completed and inaugurated in Denmark. Funded by the Danish Energy Agency's Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP), the MOlten Salts Storage (MOSS) project aims at bringing Hyme Energy’s novel thermal storage technology to life through a strong collaboration with industrial and academic partners: Alfa Laval, KIRT X THOMSEN, SULZER, Seaborg, Aalborg University, Energy Cluster Denmark, Hyme Energy, and DIN Forsyning.
Heat consumption accounts for half of the global energy consumption and represents 40 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
High-temperature steam is used in electricity production, and industrial processes to produce innumerable daily consumables such as food, chemicals, and materials.
The MOSS pilot facility is a step closer to decarbonizing these processes.
Innovation and green solutions are part of the DNA of Danish business. Developing and pioneering new paths benefit both the bottom line and our climate. Therefore, I am pleased that a new energy storage solution is now being introduced here in Esbjerg, which will be crucial for a successful transition of our energy system, said Søren Gade, Speaker of the Danish Parliament and Chairman of Port Esbjerg in his address.
Heat exchangers are a critical component
The pilot plant will be tested to prove component integration, validate system design, gain insights into the most optimal materials and components, and demonstrate operation and system control.
When charging, that is using surplus renewable electricity, the cold salt is pumped through the electrical heaters to the hot salt tank.
During discharge, the hot salt is pumped through the heat exchanger to generate steam and then transferred back to the cold tank.
Alfa Laval is a world leader in innovative heat exchanger technologies that will be vital to enable commercially viable long-duration energy storage, fundamental for the decarbonization of Industrial heat.
According to the COP28 commitment, the world must double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency and triple the rate of renewable energy by 2030. That is why energy storage is pivotal when driving the shift towards renewable energy sources and an important pathway to decarbonization and a more sustainable future, said Thomas Møller, President of Energy Division at Alfa Laval.
As a significant contributor to the MOSS project, Alfa Laval will deliver the Header & Coil steam generator, a critical component in the process and the key for producing steam from the system.
We are excited that our pioneering and highly efficient Header & Coil heat exchanger technology will contribute to the MOSS project and be part of building the first molten hydroxide salt energy storage plant in the world, said Alasdair MacIver, Head of Energy Storage Solutions at Alfa Laval.
Plans for a commercial-scale plant
The concept is to store renewable thermal energy for sunless or windless days – a crucial starting point for a future climate-friendly and fully balanced energy system.
As the consortium pilot plant, it will be able to test and prove the system’s scalability, and technological development of the solution.
In the long term, Hyme Energy’s thermal energy storage technology will play a significant role in the energy transition by enabling industry and utility companies to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy for heat and steam production.
World’s first MW-scale
The new thermal energy storage in Esbjerg is the world’s first MW-scale. The plan is to commercialize the full-scale solution in 2026.
According to Ask Emil Løvschall-Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Hyme Energy, a commercial facility could store renewable electricity in up to 700 degrees of molten hydroxide salt on a GWh scale.
Innovation is strengthened through collaboration, and at Hyme, we are not only on a mission about creating groundbreaking energy storage solutions; we also cultivate new, innovative partnerships. I am extremely proud of the project’s partnership and our joint efforts. The green transition is not a solo ride – it is a collective mission, where change-ready users and innovative partners are the keys to success. We are setting the stage together – not just towards 2030, but also towards a CO2-neutral 2050 – by proving that groundbreaking technologies can change our world towards a more sustainable future, said Ask Emil Løvschall-Jensen.
