EUROTHERM
Interest in TES is heating up
The strong attendance and engagement at Eurotherm Seminar #119 proves that the state of the thermal energy storage (TES) industry is very strong, said professor Luisa F. Cabeza, the principal event organizer. Nearly 200 academic and industrial experts representing five continents and 13 countries convened at the University of Lleida (Spain) in mid-May to exchange knowledge and ideas about the “Contribution of thermal energy storage towards decarbonization,” including novel storage materials; advanced storage concepts and configurations; TES for renewable energy systems, buildings, and industry; and artificial intelligence (AI).
The decarbonization theme led to a focus on thermal energy storage (TES) for high-temperature (200–600°C) applications required for major industrial applications, Cabeza said, including how to identify, characterize, and work with phase-change materials (PCM) at high temperatures.
More than 30 EU-funded projects were presented at the seminar. The presentations focused less on the science and more on how the projects could help bring technologies to market, Cabeza said. The high number of projects proves that TES technology is growing and that the strong presence by industry proves that interest in the technology is also growing, she added. (Pictured is Miguel Ángel Alfaro López who won the Best Poster Award for his research on the characterization of bulk PCM storage tanks for cold applications.)
Cabeza cited two projects that exemplify the exciting state of TES innovation: 4TunaTES and HYBRIDplus. 4TunaTES promises to deliver a thermo-chemical energy storage (TCES) technology that can be easily adapted to different applications, reducing development costs by up to 90%. 4TunaTES promises to “develop a TCES-prototype that can be also used for domestic use and addresses different challenges in terms of materials used, heat exchanging components with a high degree of manufacturing flexibility, and revolutionary systems with electricity adapted thermodynamic cycles.”
HYBRIDplus aims to revolutionize the plants that power homes and businesses by lowering the financial and environmental cost of high-density and high-temperature TES for the next generation of concentrated solar plants (CSP). HYBRIDplus proposes a novel photovoltaic and CSP plant with a hybrid electrified PCM TES system in cascade configuration coupled with a high temperature supercritical CO2 power cycle that allows “higher shares of variable output renewables in the energy system and increases environmental friendliness (lower CO2 emissions, minimum water consumption, enhancement life cycle impact).”
The EUROTHERM Committee was formed in Brussels, Belgium, in 1986 to promote and foster European cooperation in thermal sciences and heat transfer. It holds a European Thermal Sciences Conference every four years and seminars every three years. The first Eurotherm seminar was held in 1988.
One of the biggest changes Cabeza said she has seen since her first seminar in 2014 is the keen interest policymakers now have about PCM and TES technology. “Ten years ago nobody was paying attention to energy storage and the little attention that was given was only about batteries,” she said. “I think that’s something that has been a big accomplishment. We have been able to show the benefits and transformational potential of TES technology to these very key stakeholders.”
Another key aspect of the seminar was highlighting some of the challenges still facing the PCM and TES industries. Cabeza said she thinks the top three needs are: seasonal energy storage; ultra-low temperature applications (-50°C to -100ºC), “which are much more technically challenging than heating;” and standardization in PCM materials and measurement methods.
Organizations such as the RAL Quality Association PCM are key to developing much-needed standardization of the industry, she said. Stefan Thomann, managing director of the RAL Quality Association Phase Change Materials, agreed, saying that the need for standardization and quality requirements is precisely why several PCM manufacturers formed the international trade group in 2004. “Developing common frameworks and guidelines to ensure quality and confidence in performance is essential to promoting widespread adoption of this emerging technology in both industry and policy,” Thomann said.
COLLABORATIONS
Amazon adopts Cartesian’s Thermal Box
Cartesian co-founder and CTO Alexis Sevault announced on LinkedIn that Cartesian (Trondheim, Norway) is partnering with Amazon (Seattle, Washington) to deliver Thermal Box technology to three Amazon fulfillment centers in the EU to support the global e-commerce retailer’s sustainability goals.
“Our thermal battery technology integrates seamlessly into Amazon’s existing heating and cooling infrastructure, increasing their thermal capacity while reducing energy consumption and operating costs,” he said. The first installation is scheduled for this summer.
Sevault encouraged others to apply to the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, which supports „early-stage start-ups that develop innovative solutions to tackle the world’s toughest sustainability challenges.“ The deadline for climate technologies is July 10.
Rubitherm, Pluss join forces
Rubitherm Technologies GmbH (Berlin, Germany) and Pluss Advanced Technologies Ltd. (Gurugram, India) announced plans to co-develop advanced PCM materials and thermal storage solutions. The intercontinental collaboration exemplifies the goal of the recently launched Germany–India Innovation Bridge, a joint initiative by NLND Berlin and German Indian Innovation Corridor — GIIC to help Indian startups get a foothold in the EU market.
Pluss Managing Director Samit Jain said the collaboration is in an early but motivated stage. “The dynamics of the relationship are still being worked out,” he said. “Both Pluss and Rubitherm are equally entrenched in phase change material sciences and are excited about collaborating. We believe that our speed of innovation and time to market will significantly multiply and together we can supply solutions for the changing energy-sensitive world.”
After a meeting of senior managers held on June 2 in Berlin, Lutz Klinkner, managing director of Rubitherm, said: “I am very confident that at least one of the four or five areas of collaboration identified so far will bear fruit — commercially or developmentally — hopefully in 2026.
“We at Rubitherm see this trans-national collaboration as another big step in our commitment to provide customers with even better service and support. We have identified several products and services that could be jointly acted on today, samples are being exchanged now, and customers are being approached with new options.”
The meeting was the second this year between Rubitherm and Pluss, Klinkner said, and another is already being planned for the fall in India.
IN BRIEF
• Sunamp (Macmerry, Scotland) announced that its Thermino and Central Bank Mini heat battery products have been formally approved for incentives under Hydro Québec’s Efficient Solutions Programme (OSE 6.0). Maurizio Zaglio, Sunamp chief commercial officer, said: “This approval from Hydro Québec is an important validation of our technology and a major step forward for Sunamp in Canada. Having both Thermino and Central Bank Mini heat batteries recognised within the OSE 6.0 program shows that our products meet the performance, reliability, and energy savings requirements for commercial and industrial incentives.” The program’s financial incentives allow for deployment of Sunamp’s advanced thermal storage with reduced upfront costs.
• MGA Thermal (Tomago, Australia) has commenced a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a 195 MWh electro-thermal energy storage (ETES) project at Tronox, Australia’s largest industrial-scale thermal storage project. Construction will begin in 2027 and will reach commercial operation by 2028. MGA Thermal’s ETES technology stores renewable electricity by employing phase-change materials (PCM). In this case, miscibility gap alloy (MGA) is combined with a matrix material to create modular MGA Blocks. The ETES project is expected to allow Tronox to avoid 38,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year, with the potential to eliminate fossil fuel usage if deployed at scale. Mark Croudace, CEO of MGA Thermal, said: “Commencing the FEED study is a significant step — it’s where engineering challenges are resolved, and the pathway to FID and construction becomes real. This project is the first of several we are actively developing, and it demonstrates that MGA Thermal’s technology is ready to scale across industrial and manufacturing sectors.”
• Ember LifeSciences (Westlake Village, California) announced on May 27 that its total Series A funding stands at $27 million, thanks to strategic investments from Amgen Ventures (Thousand Oaks, California), the corporate venture arm of biotechnology company Amgen and TDF Venture. Clay Alexander, founder and CEO of Ember LifeSciences, said the investments will be used “to scale our logistics platform rapidly.” That announcement came only a month after the newly launched Ember Cube 2, which uses organic phase change materials to protect temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical payloads, was awarded „Best of the Best“ in the Red Dot Awards: Product Design (Essen, Germany). Past award honorees include Apple, Google (Home) and Siemens. „We are incredibly honored to receive the Red Dot ‚Best of the Best‘ award for the Ember Cube 2, celebrating its design and innovation at the very moment we bring this technology to the global market,“ Alexander said.
• Manufacturers of PCM used in batteries must prepare for the launch of the Digital Battery Passport, which will become a mandatory requirement for batteries in the EU market on Feb. 18, 2027. CIC energiGUNE ( Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) has developed a report that offers a comprehensive overview of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, including regulatory requirements, carbon footprint and life cycle assessment (LCA), recycled content and circular economy, supply-chain traceability and digitalization, as well as strategic insights. The most significant impacts for PCM manufacturers are material traceability, documentation, environmental footprint recording, and audit requirements, according to CIC energiGUNE.
• The International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) is seeking abstract submissions for cold-chain packaging solutions at its 2026 ISTA Forum Europe in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Oct. 7-8. Topics of particular interest are: real-world cold-chain challenges and lessons learned, temperature monitoring strategies, sustainability efforts in temperature-controlled shipping, direct-to-patient and last-mile delivery experiences, design qualification and performance validation from an end-user perspective, handling sensitive products such as biologics and gene therapies, and ocean and long-haul transport experiences. The deadline is June 17.
• Green Circle Decarbonize Technology, Ltd., announced on June 8 that it has appointed Louis Ho Ming Leung as CFO to oversee financial strategy, accounting, and auditing. The Globe and Mail reported that the move was made “to bolster financial management and corporate governance as it pursues strategic growth in the phase change thermal energy storage market” after its IPO in January. Green Circle Decarbonize Technology is a Cayman Islands holding company that develops and manufactures PCM storage systems through its Hong Kong subsidiary, Boca International, Ltd.
• Cowa Thermal Solutions AG 𝘄on the German Innovation Award 2026 in the Excellence in Business to Business – Energy Solutions category at a ceremony on May 12 in Berlin. The jury said that “the Cowa COMPACT Cube 48 sets new standards as a thermal energy storage for heat pumps, impressing with its exceptional compactness and innovative choice of materials. With a novel phase-change material based on a recyclable salt hydrate, it enables a significantly higher energy density with ideal temperature control.”
• The Energy Storage OnSeminar is a free series of one-hour webinars on energy storage. A couple upcoming webinars are Compact Thermal Energy Storage on June 16 and System Flexibility from Medium-Duration Energy Storage on Sept. 24. To watch the recordings, check out the archive or the videos on the website.
• Rubitherm Technologies GmbH announced that its new 2000L mixing tank is fully operational, supporting increased demand with greater efficiency and reliability.
JOBS
• Zafer Ure, a director with URE Holdings, Ltd., (Yaxley, England), is hiring a Ph.D. position that will focus on thermal energy storage using thermochemical materials (TCMs) and phase change materials (PCMs). The role is funded directly by the European research project ECHO and Ure serves as the lead researcher.
• CIC energiGUNE (Gasteiz, Spain) is recruiting Ph.D. candidates to pursue a doctoral thesis focused on the study of buried electrode/electrolyte interphases in next-generation sodium-ion batteries.
PATENTS
Rechargeable thermal battery systems for use in transporting or storing perishable items
U.S. patent application 20260118038 (applicant Phasestor, LLC, Asheboro, North Carolina):
„An apparatus includes a cargo area with a heat exchanger; a thermal battery system having a phase change material (PCM) with first and second heat exchangers embedded in the PCM; fluid conduits defining fluid passageways interconnecting the cargo area heat exchanger and the first PCM-embedded heat exchanger; and a pump creating a fluid flow through the fluid conduits between the cargo area heat exchanger and the first PCM-embedded heat exchanger. The apparatus also includes external ports configured for connecting to an external charging source for charging the PCM; and fluid conduits defining fluid passageways interconnecting the external ports and the second PCM-embedded heat exchanger. The first PCM-embedded heat exchanger, pump, and cargo area heat exchanger form part of a first closed-loop circuit for transferring heat between the cargo area and the thermal battery system. The second PCM-embedded heat exchanger and external ports do not part of the first closed-loop circuit.“
Portable regulated temperature container with certain phase change materials
U.S. patent application 20260092726 (applicant Sheetak, Inc., Austin, Texas):
„A portable, independent thermoelectric temperature regulated system for providing active cooling to one or more
payloads. The system includes a thermally insulated housing, a phase change material, one or more thermoelectric
converters embedded in the thermally insulated housing, and a power source. The system includes a control circuit for managing temperature of the payload(s) based on user selections. The phase change material may be charged and discharged to provide passive cooling or heating when the thermoelectric converter is not active.“
s
More U.S. patent applications:
Compositions containing phase change materials, methods for forming objects using the same, and method for using the same (Phase Change Energy Solutions, Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina.) | Composite aerogel, recyclable heat-storage phase-change composite material with photothermal conversion function, and preparation methods therefor and use (China Petroleum & Chemical Corp.; Sinopec Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.) | Phase-change cooling systems with electromagnetically induced flow (Raytheon Co., Arlington, Virginia.) | Dynamic phase change material for heat removal from electronic devices (Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachussetts.)
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
From Journal of Energy Storage:
• A form-stable and durable composite phase change material modified with sodium lignosulfonate and expanded graphite for mid-temperature thermal energy storage
• Form-stable polyethylene glycol distearate–rice husk silica composite phase change material for effective latent heat thermal energy storage
• Hydroxyl functional ionic liquid-erythritol binary eutectic phase change materials for long-term thermal energy storage
• Bio-based phase change materials integrated with expanded graphite and Prussian blue for high thermal and photothermal performance in solar energy storage
From Applied Thermal Engineering:
• Experimental thermal performance analysis of microencapsulated phase change materials-filled brick hollow configurations for building energy efficiency
• High thermal conductivity hydrophilic-modified graphite foam for enhanced thermal performance of sodium acetate trihydrate based phase change materials
• Waste-derived biochar from water caltrop shells for sustainable and flexible PEO-based phase change materials with enhanced photothermal energy storage
From Cleaner Engineering and Technology:
From Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells:
From Polymer:
• Pod-inspired emulsion-crosslinking strategy for intrinsically flexible, flame-retardant, and photothermal phase change composites
• High thermal conductivity and dual-phase-change energy storage enabled by BN/polyurethane microcapsule composites
From Materials Today Communications:
From Acta Physico-Chimica Sinica:
• Biomimetic “fibrous root systems” in phase-change composites for photothermal conversion and storage
From Composites Part B: Engineering:
From Food Control:
From Renewable Energy:
From Solar Energy:
From International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer:
• Battery thermal management system based on phase change material with carbon fiber mesh
From Energy Conversion and Management: X:
From Industrial Crops and Products:
From Biomass and Bioenergy:
From Composites Communications:
NETWORKING
Connect with PCM experts and industry leaders on LinkedIn
More than 1,800 people have joined a LinkedIn group devoted to the discussion of phase change material and thermal energy storage. You are invited to join the Phase Change Matters group and connect with PCM and TES experts from around the world.
NEWS TIPS
Does your company, agency or university have a job opening, new research, new product or other news you’d like to share? I would love to hear from you. Please contact newsletter editor Amy Phillips at phasechangematters@gmail.com.
A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR
This newsletter is made possible through the generous support of the RAL Quality Association PCM and the members listed below. To learn more about the association, including membership benefits, please contact Stefan Thomann, executive director, at pcm@kellencompany.com.
Axiotherm GmbH | Croda Europe, Ltd. | Hangzhou Ruhr New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (RuhrTech) | ISU Chemical Co. Ltd. | Ningbo Passive Edge Material Co., Ltd. | PCM Technology |PLUSS Advanced Technologies, Ltd. | Rubitherm Technologies GmbH | Sasol Germany GmbH | Sunamp, Ltd. | Associate member: Lucerne University of Applied Sciences (HSLU)