The Israeli thermal energy storage company Brenmiller Energy — which uses crushed rocks to maintain heat that can be released on demand as steam, hot water or hot air — is entering the Brazilian market.
Last week, a Brenmiller unit was installed at a Fortlev company plant in Anápolis.
Fortlev is a leading water storage solutions company in Brazil, specializing in products such as water tanks, tanks, cisterns, sewage treatment plants, pipes and connections.
Brenmiller storage units, already in use in Israel, the US, Romania and Italy seek to help the industry release itself from dependence on fossil fuels.
Its units comprise electrical heaters that can be heated by any source of energy, from solar and wind to the grid during off-peak hours. They can also integrate heat from exhaust pipes, heat recovery, or, as in Fortlev’s case, the burning of biomass — plant-based materials.
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The heat is retained by crushed rock at a high temperature.
Hot air, steam and hot water are used for heating and sterilization in a variety of industrial settings, from manufacturing, food production and meat processing, to commercial laundries and hospitals.
In the coming years, Fortlev plans to expand its use of the Israeli company’s technology at its production facilities in Anápolis and seven additional locations in Brazil.
It will also create a production line for Brenmiller’s storage units in Brazil, a Brenmiller statement said.
Deputy CEO of Brenmiller, Doron Brenmiller, said that a full roll-out could cut energy costs at Forlev’s largest production facility by 75 percent, and reduce global warming emissions by 48,000 tons annually — the equivalent to that emitted by 10,500 cars in a year.
Brenmiller recently listed its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange and is now traded simultaneously in New York and Tel Aviv.
