KRAFTBLOCK— Ecologically Friendly And Economically Viable Energy Storage Solution

How would you describe your business idea to a potential investor?

KRAFTBLOCK is the first economically and ecologically justifiable energy storage system that is quickly scalable and universally applicable.

KRAFTBLOCK is a high-temperature heat storage that can be used universally: Heat to Power, Power to Heat, Power to Power, Heat to Heat. Compared to other storage options, KRAFTBLOCK is the most sustainable and cost-effective solution.

The energy to be stored can stem from heat or electricity sources. KRAFTBLOCK converts the energy to thermal energy. The energy output is possible as heat or power.

In combination with the scalability of the systems, KRAFTBLOCK is the ideal solution for industrial customers with application scenarios like steel mills striving for storing heat and using the stored energy as power.

What problem do you want to solve, what is your goal?

We want to use KRAFTBLOCK to drive forward the energy transition. We need an ecologically and economically viable energy storage solution for the global switch to renewable energies, as we need to decouple energy production from energy consumption. Energy production from the sun and wind is dependent on natural influences and therefore cannot be controlled. Energy from industrial processes is wasted and need to be reused.

For a global switch to renewable energies by 2050, we need a global storage capacity of 15,000 TWh. This is 24 times as much as Germany’s annual energy demand.

How did you come up with your idea/concept?

Martin watched TV where DLR showed a high-temperature concrete energy storage. Current heat storages, which use salts or such concrete as a storage medium, reach a maximum of 600°C. As a ceramic specialist he had the challenge that high temperature is above 1,000°C. This was the reason why he developed the granulate that can store a temperature of up to 1,300 degrees for heat storage.

What is your business model?

We offer Heat to Power, Power to Heat, Power to Power, Heat to Heat Energy-System Solutions. In combination with the scalability of the systems, KRAFTBLOCK is the ideal solution for industrial customers with application scenarios like steel mills striving for storing heat and using the stored energy as power.

Energy producers of Renewables require high-performance power lines which are extremely expensive (€50 billion for 13,000 km) and not welcomed by residents. The potential of KRAFTBLOCK lies in the exploitation of untapped resources with the benefits of using existing infrastructure for energy transport. Hence, every energy producer switching from energy from fossil sources to renewable energy sources is in the need for scalable and affordable energy storage systems.

How’s the insulation working?

We lay out the insulation according to the customer’s needs, i.e. he wants to store it for a day, a week or a month. As a rule, 2% loss is planned during the storage period.

From which sources can the storage obtain heat?

We have designed the core of KRAFTBLOCK to be “universally applicable”. This means that we can work with different heat transfer media from hot exhaust gases to steam, thermal oil, and molten salts.

Of course, we have to take a close look at the exhaust gases to decide whether to use a heat exchanger or not. The variant without heat exchanger is preferred. In the case of liquid media, the connections and seals of the system are adapted accordingly and, if necessary, filter units are used.

How does the concept of re-conversion work?

At present, we are dependent on the state of the art for re-electricity generation: ORC, micro steam turbine, steam turbine, variants of combined cycle,… A good combination would also be integrated into existing power plants in order to use as much infrastructure as possible, which is to be “dismantled” in the foreseeable future.

Why did you decide to work with XPRENEURS?

In Stage 2 Climate-KIC Accelerator we had only choice to Work with Berlin (in the present hub) or Munich with XPRENEURS. Because it has a very good reputation we decided to ask for XPRENEURS.

You can get more information about KRAFTBLOCK on their website, follow them on Facebook and Twitter or contact them on LinkedIn.

You want to become part of the XPRENEURS incubator program as well?
Get more information and apply at https://xpreneurs.io/.