A €2.1 million grant from Business Finland will support the design, testing, and validation of this advanced technology.
The project builds on the company's existing Sand Battery technology, which efficiently converts electricity into heat for storage and later use in industrial processes and district heating systems.
With the addition of P2H2P functionality, the stored heat can also be converted back into electricity, opening new opportunities for balancing energy grids and scaling up renewable energy sources.
“Developing heat-to-power capabilities is a big opportunity for us and the global energy market. This innovation will not only reduce emissions on a large scale but also make renewable energy more reliable and cost-effective”, explains Markku Ylönen, CTO of Polar Night Energy.
A small-scale pilot plant will be constructed to test the heat-to-power process and its efficiency.
The development will focus on modifying the storage design and component choices to provide a suitable heat flow for electricity production. Raising the operating temperatures of the energy storage is a critical factor for improving efficiency and enabling effective heat-to-power conversion.
Achieving these higher temperatures requires research and development to optimize the system's materials and design.
“Results and experiences from the pilot plant operations will be utilized in designing a commercial heat-to-power plant”, says Markku Ylönen.
The pilot will be built without a turbine, as key performance metrics can be accurately simulated and modeled. Turbine technology is well-established and widely understood, meaning its inclusion would not add significant value to the testing process at this stage.
Additionally, excluding the turbine reduces the overall cost and complexity of the pilot, allowing Polar Night Energy to focus on optimizing energy storage related components.
Extensive market analysis is required to properly dimension the energy storage and the turbine, for maximized utility and economic viability.
To minimize energy waste, the pilot's heat output will be directed for example, into a district heating network or for industrial use. Polar Night Energy is looking for suitable location for the pilot near Tampere, Finland.
The energy efficiency of a P2H2P system depends on several factors, including the size of the facility, the achievable temperatures, and the equipment used—particularly the turbine.
The electricity generation efficiency is expected to be around 30–50%, comparable to traditional combustion-based power plants. If the remaining heat can be utilized in a combined heat and power process, the overall efficiency can exceed 90%.
“We envision a future where energy storage systems are standard at industrial and energy sector sites worldwide, meeting the immense demand for reliable storage solutions,” says Markku Ylönen.
Earlier, Polar Night Energy announced a partnership with Ilmatar, one of the leading independent power producers in the Nordics. The collaboration includes commercial piloting opportunities at Ilmatar's wind farms once the P2H2P technology reaches an advanced stage.
