Project: Integration of a power-to-heat solution with thermal energy storage
Industry: Thin-film technology
Partner / Client: ENERGYNEST
End Customer / Operator: Leonhard Kurz
Location: Germany
Initial Situation
In this project, ENERGYNEST, a specialist in thermal energy storage, acts as AURA’s partner and direct client, while the solution is implemented at the facilities of the end customer, Leonhard Kurz.
Leonhard Kurz, an industry pioneer in thin-film technology, requires a reliable and continuous supply of process heat for its production processes.
At its Sulzbach-Rosenberg site in Germany, KURZ consumes more than 4 GWh of thermal energy annually for process heating. Before the transition, this heat was generated entirely using natural gas.
The German family-owned company aims to achieve climate-neutral production across all of its more than 50 locations worldwide by 2040. The focus was therefore on developing an economically viable, future-proof solution that enables a flexible energy supply.
Solution
To ensure a flexible, sustainable and efficient supply of process heat, a turnkey power-to-heat solution was implemented at KURZ. The system integrates AURA’s 3,000 kW electric heater and ENERGYNEST’s 12 MWhth ThermalBattery™ into the existing infrastructure.
The company generates electricity through its own photovoltaic system or purchases it from the grid when electricity prices are low. AURA’s electric heater converts this electricity into high-temperature heat. In combination with ENERGYNEST’s ThermalBattery™, the generated heat can be stored and supplied independently of when it was produced. This allows energy to be used flexibly and efficiently integrated into the production process.
As a result, KURZ can compensate for fluctuations in electricity availability while significantly reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
The implemented solution can cover 70% of the heat demand of one production line. This enables Leonhard Kurz to save more than 3.5 GWh of natural gas annually and reduce its CO₂ emissions by over 700 tonnes per year.
Thermal energy storage makes it possible to decouple heat generation from electricity consumption, allowing stored heat to be supplied whenever it is needed.
Particularly when renewable energy availability fluctuates, surplus electricity can be efficiently converted into usable process heat and stored for later use.
This helps balance peak loads, optimise energy costs and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The collaboration between AURA and ENERGYNEST demonstrates how combining specialised technologies can create integrated solutions that are already suitable for industrial applications today.
As renewable energy becomes increasingly available, the ability to use and store energy flexibly will continue to grow in importance. Efficient electric heat generation will therefore play an increasingly central role in the transformation of industrial energy systems.
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