It takes a lot of energy to keep industry moving. The industrial sector accounts for more than one-third of global energy consumption, most of which goes toward the industrial heating required to manufacture the products and materials that line our store shelves and build our cities. To keep costs down, companies turn toward the cheapest and most reliable energy options, which is why approximately 80 percent of the energy required for industrial heating is generated by fossil fuels. Now, a California-based company has developed a solution that could allow the industrial sector to cut costs while powering industrial heating with clean energy. 

Antora wants to make low-cost, clean energy the standard for global industry. In a conversation with C3 News, the company detailed the innovative product at the center of its efforts: thermal batteries. Unlike current battery storage solutions, thermal batteries do not require critical minerals, and there’s no fire risk. That’s because, at the most basic level, thermal batteries are just solid blocks of carbon in an insulated container. 

When electricity is cheap and abundant, the carbon rapidly heats up as it absorbs electricity. The thermal battery can then store that energy, releasing it 24/7 as high-temperature heat. That means thermal batteries could connect to inexpensive but intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, store the energy for long durations, and then release it as consistent thermal energy for an industrial facility. Thermal batteries could enable companies to run consistently on clean energy while only directly consuming energy for short periods.

These batteries can connect directly to the power grid, which could be a boon for areas with a surplus of renewable power. The Midwest is one example Antora cited; there is such an oversupply of wind power in this region that grid operators have had to restrict wind generation because transmission capacity cannot keep up with energy production. Connecting thermal batteries to the grid in the Midwest and other resource-rich regions could store excess clean energy, stabilizing the power grid, allowing for increased generation, and shifting industrial energy demands toward times of low prices and high production. 

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In areas where clean energy resources are more limited, the batteries can be connected directly to renewable energy projects, like solar fields. Either way, these batteries can help industries adopt clean energy faster. 

If thermal batteries already sound too good to be true, it gets even better. Carbon is incredibly abundant and affordable—it is essentially the same material as the graphite used in pencils. Further, the byproducts from the coal and petroleum industries are often used as inputs to make the types of carbon used in thermal batteries. Antora may just be creating a big market for waste from America’s coal industry. 

“American manufacturers need affordable, reliable energy,” says Justin Briggs, Antora co-founder and chief operating officer. “Antora’s thermal batteries turn low-cost, locally generated electricity into always-on industrial energy, helping manufacturers cut costs and stay competitive. And by using solid carbon—not as a fuel, but as a low-cost energy storage material made from coal and petroleum byproducts—we’re supporting coal communities and strengthening domestic supply chains.”

Antora doesn’t just provide batteries to companies and let them figure out what to do with them—it works with customers through the whole process. Antora provides the necessary connections to power the battery and produce consistent energy for an industrial site, and works with the facility to seamlessly integrate into their existing processes. 

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The batteries are tested and proven technology, and Antora is ramping up production. The company informed C3 that it is beginning to ship the first thermal batteries to industrial sites and expects to add a second manufacturing facility soon. They aim to execute the Antora model in as many sites around the country as possible, demonstrating that this technology is replicable across various sectors. 

Antora has achieved an innovative marvel. Their thermal batteries could grow the use of clean energy in manufacturing, lower costs for companies and consumers, improve our energy grid, and provide a use for fossil fuel byproducts. If adoption becomes widespread, the company’s thermal battery system could help kickstart a new era of American manufacturing and global competitiveness. 

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.