The battery captures intermittent renewable electricity and stores it as high-temperature heat in refractory bricks, discharging steam on demand 24/7. HEINEKEN will use this renewable steam to displace fossil-fueled boilers without altering its brewing process. The heat is delivered under a “Heat-as-a-Service” model, with EDP supplying the energy by integrating Rondo’s system with on-site solar and grid-based renewable electricity.
This model allows for stable, continuous steam generation — a known challenge in food and beverage manufacturing — while directly cutting operational emissions. The Lisbon project is aligned with HEINEKEN’s Brew a Better World roadmap, which includes net-zero targets for production by 2030 and across the full value chain by 2040.
Rondo’s thermal system addresses a key hurdle in industrial electrification: how to turn cheap, variable renewable electricity into reliable, high-temperature heat. The Rondo Heat Battery charges during periods of low-cost electricity, typically when solar generation is at its peak, and discharges steam at industrial pressures and temperatures — even above 100 bar.
The deployment in Portugal reflects a larger trend in European energy: increasing access to abundant solar power and an urgent need for decarbonized heat solutions in industry. According to BloombergNEF, regions like Iberia are expected to see near-zero wholesale electricity prices during sunny hours by 2030. Rondo’s system is designed to capitalize on this shift, offering industrial users clean thermal energy at lower costs than fossil-based alternatives.
EDP’s role as both renewable power provider and service integrator marks a growing interest in utility-led Heat-as-a-Service models. For EDP, this pilot shows how infrastructure providers can deliver cost-effective decarbonization by bridging clean electricity with thermal demand — helping clients meet sustainability targets without compromising process integrity.
