This video examines MGA Thermal, an Australian startup that has developed a thermal energy battery using graphite blocks embedded with phase-change metal alloys, capable of storing renewable energy as heat at industrial scale.
Key insights:
Unlike conventional thermal storage materials like plain bricks, MGA’s proprietary metal alloys exploit latent heat during phase change, delivering two to three times the energy density of competitors like Rondo or Antora.
The system achieves 98% efficiency for direct heat applications such as drying, cooking, and chemical processing, though roundtrip electricity conversion via steam turbine drops to around 50%.
A 2023 manufacturing incident where runaway exothermic reactions pushed temperatures past 1,200°C required CO2 tankers from Sydney to prevent explosion, but the team rebuilt with upgraded safety systems and a kiln now producing 100 blocks per day.
The 5 MWh pilot plant in New South Wales uses 3,700 blocks and has already demonstrated a 13% reduction in steam demand at a minerals processing facility; and MGA is in talks for a 180 MW commercial plant, with levelized cost of heat already reportedly competitive with gas boilers, making it a credible decarbonization pathway for heavy industry.