Heineken, Rondo, and EDP drive the largest thermal storage project in the Iberian Peninsula
The Heineken Group, via Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas, Rondo Energy and EDP, has signed an agreement to install a 100 MWh thermal storage battery at the Central de Cervejas e Bebidas brewery and malting plant in Lisbon, Portugal. This will be one of the largest thermal batteries in the global beverage sector and will help transform the facility into one of the world’s most sustainable production sites, operating on clean, emission-free steam. This partnership also represents the first major heat purchase agreement in Portugal, leveraging an on-site storage and renewables solution. The project is subject to customary administrative and regulatory approvals.
Rondo’s thermal battery stores renewable electricity as high-temperature heat, enabling safe, continuous, carbon-free steam and removing the need for fossil fuel boilers. Under this project, EDP will install a 7 MWp solar plant on the Central de Cervejas e Bebidas site to power Rondo’s battery, which will in turn supply the steam required for production processes.
The battery will also be charged with renewable power from the grid via a flexible long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) of 25 GWh per year between Central de Cervejas e Bebidas and EDP. Through this PPA, EDP will optimise energy supply, ensuring flexibility and maximising the use of renewable electricity. This bespoke solution allows Heineken to adopt advanced technology without operational complexity.
“At EDP we believe the future of industry will be driven by collaboration and bold ideas. Deploying the world’s largest thermal battery in the beverage sector, integrated into a brewery solution powered by solar panels and a complementary green power purchase agreement, is not just about technology but about demonstrating what can be achieved when we dare to push boundaries. Together with Heineken and Rondo, we are raising the bar for sustainability,” said Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of EDP.
“By joining forces with EDP and Rondo, we are opening new pathways to power our brewing operations more efficiently. This project not only helps us reduce our reliance on conventional energy, but also demonstrates how practical innovation and strong partnerships can deliver significant improvements across our value chain,” said Magne Setnes, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Heineken.
“The Iberian Peninsula can become Europe’s low-cost, low-carbon industrial base. We are delighted to install our first Rondo Heat Battery in the region and to support Heineken in its goals. We look forward to helping industries across Iberia cut costs and emissions and to enabling the region to seize this opportunity,” said Eric Trusiewicz, CEO of Rondo Energy.
With this EDP-Rondo solution, the brewery is expected to reduce its carbon emissions without changing its production processes, as the steam supplied by the Rondo battery is identical to steam produced from fossil fuels. The plant is expected to reduce its natural gas consumption, avoiding an estimated 6,600 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas already operates two solar plants built by EDP, with a combined capacity of 2 MWp. In addition, over the last four years the two companies have worked together to make one of Portugal’s most iconic music festivals greener. The new thermal battery will enable even deeper decarbonisation of the site, tackling one of the most challenging needs in a brewery: decarbonising high-temperature steam, which until now has been produced from gas.
This project offers a replicable model for other high-energy sectors such as food & beverage, pulp & paper, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
The project is backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst. Boosting competitiveness and decarbonising European industry through affordable renewables is a priority for the EIB. Through our new Climate Bank Roadmap, we are prioritising innovative solutions such as Rondo’s thermal battery. “This project is exactly the type of public-private partnership we want to support more in the future,” said Karl Nehammer, Vice-President of the EIB.
“Rondo’s thermal batteries offer a unique route to energy security for European industry, enabling companies such as Heineken to deploy an affordable, reliable and clean solution,” said Mario Fernández, Managing Director of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst. “Catalyst exists to accelerate deployment of critical technologies, and we are proud to support, alongside our European partners, a project that can provide 24-hour decarbonised heat for manufacturing at a time of real need.”
The collaboration between two global leaders — Heineken in food & beverage and EDP in energy — demonstrates the huge potential of thermal batteries to benefit industrial sites, renewables producers and grid operators alike.
How the Rondo Heat Battery works
The Rondo Heat Battery is charged with low-cost, intermittent electricity, stores the electricity as heat in refractory bricks, and delivers steam on demand under any conditions at pressures of over 100 bar, without combustion or emissions. It can supply steam, heat and/or electricity continuously for 24 hours, acting as a direct replacement for fossil fuel boilers or cogeneration systems.
By combining low-cost intermittent electricity with the Rondo Heat Battery, industries can replace fossil fuels without interrupting their 24/7 operations. Globally, heat electrification could reduce industrial emissions by gigatonnes and reshape the energy landscape.
