Australian industrial businesses considering thermal energy storage for process heat can use a new five-step framework designed to support early-stage technical and commercial assessments, according to HILT CRC.
Commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and developed by the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC), Thermal Energy Storage for Industrial Process Heat: A Practical Guide was officially launched by ARENA at the 2026 Australasian Renewable Heat Conference in Melbourne.
According to HILT CRC, Australian industry used 234 TWh of process heat in 2022–23, with more than 80 per cent supplied by fossil fuels and around 3 per cent electrified.
The guide is intended to help industrial managers assess whether thermal energy storage (TES) is suitable for their operations, compare it with other low-carbon heat technologies, evaluate system designs and integration options, consider electrical infrastructure requirements, and assess the commercial case for investment.
HILT CRC CEO Jenny Selway said the framework was designed to help businesses navigate what can be a complex investment decision.
“Companies looking to decarbonise process heat face a rapidly evolving range of technologies and vendors and it can be difficult to know where to start,” Selway said.
“The five-step framework provides a practical starting point. It helps businesses work systematically from understanding their own heat requirements through to process integration, infrastructure requirements, costs and ultimately the investment case.”
TES can store energy, including renewable electricity or waste heat, for use when industrial processes require heat. HILT CRC said assessing the technology requires consideration of a site’s thermal requirements, emissions objectives and overall costs.
Carl Christiansen, ARENA’s General Manager of Grid and Storage, said industrial heat represented a significant opportunity for emissions reduction.
“A large share of the heat used by Australian industry still comes from fossil fuels, so businesses need practical tools to assess lower-emissions alternatives,” Christiansen said.
Professor Joe Coventry of The Australian National University, who led development of the report’s technical content, said the assessment should begin with the requirements of the industrial process rather than a particular technology.
“The starting question shouldn’t be ‘Which thermal energy storage technology should we buy?’ It should be ‘What does our industrial process actually need?’” Coventry said.
The report includes Australian and international case studies, information on more than 30 medium- and high-temperature TES vendors, as well as identified risks, knowledge gaps and recommendations for industry, policymakers, regulators and investors.
Supporting appendices cover TES technologies and cost drivers, along with integration case studies involving electrical infrastructure, alumina refining and high-temperature waste heat in steelmaking. The report and related resources are available through the ARENA Knowledge Bank.
