ArcelorMittal announces an investment in Electrified Thermal Solutions (Electrified Thermal) through its XCarb® Innovation Fund. The Fund, launched in 2021, invests in companies developing technologies that have the potential to support the decarbonization of steelmaking.
Electrified Thermal has developed a technology that electrifies industrial heat generation. Originating at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and developed over the past decade, Electrified Thermal’s patented firebricks sit at the heart of its Joule Hive™ Thermal Battery (JHTB) system.
The JHTB is a stack of electrically and thermally conductive firebricks in an insulated steel container. It charges by running renewable electricity directly through the bricks, storing low-cost, carbon-free thermal (or heat) energy at temperatures proven up to 1,700°C. The thermal energy is then discharged by running air or gas through the brick channels, providing heat to industrial applications.
Construction is underway on a 1MW/5MWh commercial demonstration plant at the Southwest Research Institute in Texas, with commissioning scheduled for the second half of 2025.
Alongside the investment, ArcelorMittal and Electrified Thermal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore technology validation tests at ArcelorMittal’s GasLab facility in Asturias and pilot deployment pathways within ArcelorMittal operations.