Firebrick Resistance-heated Energy Storage (FIRES)

Electrified Thermal Solutions is developing Firebrick Resistance-heated Energy Storage (FIRES): a new energy storage technology that turns surplus renewable energy into heat. Once stored, you can use the renewable heat to (1) replace fossil fuels in an industrial process such as steel and cement production, or (2) run a turbine to reproduce the renewable electricity, carbon-free and on-demand, at a fraction of the cost of Li-ion batteries. The innovation of FIRES stems from the novel joule-heated system, built from electrically conductive ceramics designed at MIT. As the U.S. moves toward decarbonizing the power and industrial sectors, traditional fossil fuel-based industries and jobs risk being shuttered to meet policy goals. The ability for the FIRES technology to act as a drop-in replacement for fossil fuels preserves a thriving workforce and provides carbon-free energy security to the U.S. FIRES also opens new markets and manufacturing jobs for traditional supplies chains, including ceramic refractories and steel pressure vessels. The electrically conductive firebricks required by FIRES leverages existing US expertise in firebrick production, opening opportunities for the US to lead in sustainable energy. With its unique ability to delivery heat as hot as flames, the FIRES system may be installed at every industrial furnace, kiln, and power turbine for a 100% zero-carbon energy transition by 2045, opening the path to a clean environment and a sustainable future.