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Wind and solar energy have been pushing fossil fuels out of power generation, transportation, and building systems, but industrial processes have been resisting. That wall is beginning to crack, though. Among the emerging solutions is a unique block-type thermal energy storage system developed by the Australian startup MGA Thermal. MGA claims that the system is more energy dense than other block-based systems, and it requires up to 24 times less land than conventional battery storage.
Hot Bricks For Industrial Energy Storage
Battery storage has become commonplace for grid management, microgrids, home and commercial use, and EVS, too. However, the high performance and continuity required of some industrial processes has over-reached the limits of conventional battery technology.
Block-based (aka solid-state) thermal energy storage has emerged as one solution. The basic principle is thousands of years old, with kilns and ovens among the earliest uses. Ancient or modern, these thermal systems represent the use of “sensible” heat, in which the temperature of an object or a solution is raised or lowered without altering its physical state.
One limiting factor is the amount of space available at a particular facility, as block-based thermal energy storage systems tend to be bulky. MGA Thermal aims to get an edge by ramping up energy density. The company claims that its solution can provide two to three times more energy density than other block-type systems, which can also translate into savings on the cost of materials in addition to saving space.
MGA also notes that its energy storage system can recharge and discharge energy, providing it with the ability to generate steam without interruption.
The Latent Energy Storage Difference: Follow The Money
In contrast to conventional solid-state thermal systems, MGA deploys latent heat, in which a material phase-changes between physical states.
MGA cropped up on the CleanTechnica radar back in August of 2023, after the company announced a haul of almost $5.3 million from a group of clean tech investors already in hand, including Main Sequence, Varley Holdings, Melt Ventures, and the Climate Venture Capital Fund of New Zealand, joined by new investors Pollination Group and Understorey.
The idea of harnessing latent heat in a block also caught on with Shell’s GameChanger branch. Earlier in 2023, GameChanger put down $400,000 on MGA. That funding came after the Australian Renewable Energy Agency put up $800,000 for the company in 2022, aimed at supporting a demonstration of the new technology.
In 2024 ARENA contributed another $2.5 million, and on December 4 MGA also announced the rapid-fire closure of a pre-Series B funding round featuring the Australian clean tech venture firm Electrifi Ventures in partnership with Climate Salad.
MGA was particularly emphatic about the significance of the Electrifi funding. “The investment comes as new data from the Angel Investment Network reveals that 80% of Australian startups express optimism about their 2025 prospects, despite 71% citing investment access as their primary challenge,” MGA explained. “This highlights the strategic importance of Electrifi Ventures’ rapid two-week deal closure for MGA Thermal’s growth trajectory.”
“In a landscape where funding accessibility remains the biggest hurdle for founders, the combined support of Electrifi Ventures and Climate Salad demonstrates the power of ecosystem collaboration in advancing climate innovation,” emphasized MGA CEO Mark Croudace for good measure.
First Ever Demonstration Of Latent Heat Energy Storage
Without giving too much about its proprietary technology away, MGA explains that its “Miscibility Gap Alloy” thermal blocks contain an alloy of tin dispersed with a graphite matrix. When exposed to heat, the graphite takes up the task of maintaining the shape of the block, while the tin alloy melts.
“The energy is stored in the solid-to-liquid phase change and is released as the blocks cool and the particles become solid again,” MGA elaborates.
MGA has been fine tuning the material for a decade, and now all that hard work — and all that funding — is paying off. On April 29, MGA announced the operation of its first “Electro-Thermal Energy Storage” demonstration system, aimed at storing renewable energy to deliver industrial-grade steam.
So…Did It Work?
As reported by MGA, the demonstration was a success. Though only 12x3x4 meters in size, the system is packed with 3,700 individual MGA blocks, which collectively rack up a respectable five hours of storage. That is enough to deliver continuous high-heat steam for 24 hours with a thermal dispatch power of 500 kilowatts, according to the company.
“This groundbreaking ETES technology significantly outperforms conventional sensible heat thermal storage, offering a viable pathway to 24/7 renewable heat for industries, effectively replacing reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels,” MGA reported in a press release on April 29.
“This breakthrough unlocks a tangible route to net-zero industrial operations, with the potential to scale to GWh storage capacities, meeting the vast clean heat demands of the world’s largest production facilities,” they added for good measure.
Erich Kisi, MGA Executive Chair, Chief Scientist, and Co-Founder also chipped in his two cents. “The successful operation of this world-first system is a game-changer, proving that consistent, industrial-grade clean steam is not a future aspiration, but a reality today,” Kisi said.
“We’ve cracked the challenge of delivering continuous steam from intermittent renewable sources, making it both technically and commercially compelling,” Croudace emphasized.
What Now, Fossil Fuels?
Next steps for MGA include scouting for industry partners in Australia and overseas while the company scales up its brick factory for the commercial market.
They better act fast. MGA is far from the only innovator hammering away at an energy storage solution for industrial processes. Perhaps now would be a good time for fossil energy stakeholders to start looking over their shoulders. In some respects they are still coasting on the limitations of conventional battery storage. New high-performing systems will bring those remaining opportunities to a close.
In addition, the biggest thermal energy storage system on the planet — the Earth itself — is finally opening up to widespread use through new geothermal systems, including heat for power generation as well as district heating systems and ground-sourced heat pumps for individual properties.
Come to think of it, the biggest fossil energy booster on the planet today — US President Donald Trump — made sure to embrace geothermal energy in his “American Energy Dominance” plan. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread.
Image (screenshot): Hot bricks deploy an inner shape-shifting trick to fit the industrial processes bill for long duration energy storage (courtesy of MGA Thermal).
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