Charge While You Steam: Continuous Power, Minimal Downtime

Industrial operations often depend on steam - and any interruption can mean lost productivity, increased costs, and unnecessary complexity. One of the key capabilities of MGA Thermal’s energy storage system is simultaneous electrical charging and steam discharge - enabling uninterrupted steam supply even while the thermal battery is recharging.

This feature is essential when supplying industrial sites with continuous thermal power and minimal downtime from variable renewable energy.

Why This Matters

Downtime is expensive. Our thermal battery avoids that compromise:

• No interruption to steam during charging

• Lower capital and operational costs

• Supports 24/7 renewable steam delivery

Independent Control, Smarter Operation

At the heart of this capability is our decoupled subsystem architecture. The charging and discharging functions operate independently, allowing each to be controlled simultaneously and precisely:

• Charging subsystem: Responds in under 100 milliseconds to fluctuations in electricity pricing and system state-of-charge (measured by the temperature of MGA Blocks). This enables the system to capitalise on the lowest-cost electricity - typically when renewable energy is abundant - without disrupting steam delivery.

• Discharge subsystem: Regulates steam output based on available stored energy and real-time demand from the client’s facility, ensuring stable and continuous supply.

This architecture means the system can charge opportunistically, accessing the lowest cost power and avoiding spikes, while still delivering reliable steam to industrial processes - a critical advantage for facilities that can’t afford interruptions.

Proven Performance, Real-World Impact

We’ve completed testing to demonstrate this capability under industrial operating conditions. Using our first-of-a-kind demonstration unit in Tomago, we showed that the system maintains stable steam delivery while varying charging power in real time.

“This isn’t just a technical milestone - it’s a real advantage for our customers,” says Dr. Alex Post, Chief Technology Officer at MGA Thermal.

“It means reliable steam without the cost of duplicate backup systems, smart charging when electricity is cheapest, and no compromise on supply. That’s real flexibility proven in industrial conditions.”

Let’s talk about how this feature can benefit your site.