Zero-carbon industrial heat solutions provider Rondo Energy announced that it has secured €75 million (USD$80 million) in funding, aimed at expanding its European presence by supporting three industrial decarbonization projects in the food, clean fuel, and chemical production industries.

Founded in 2020, California-based Rondo Energy provides solutions to address emissions from industrial heat processes. Industrial heating uses high amounts of energy, often from fossil fuel-based sources, to transform materials into products such as metals and plastics. Rondo’s Heat Battery turns intermittent renewable energy sources including wind and solar energy into continuous, high temperature heat, enabling the replacement of fossil fuel-fired boilers.

The three funded projects have been optimized to capture low-cost intermittent energy from local and remote wind and solar resources, to deliver “drop-in decarbonization” for producers of food and beverage, clean fuel, and chemical production. The facilities will deliver low-cost, continuous, high-pressure, zero-carbon steam and power as a service.

Funding was provided by Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, the European Commission, and the European Investment Bank.

Eric Trusiewicz, CEO of Rondo Energy, said:

“This project funding is a strong addition to our long-term relationship with Breakthrough, and puts Rondo firmly on the path to help eliminate the green premium for industrial heat electrification and to become a fully bankable technology which can be deployed at scale. The grant from Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and the loan from the European Investment Bank together underpin Rondo’s development throughout Europe, where we see very strong tailwinds to the adoption of our technology.”

The projects include the use of heat battery by polymer materials manufacturer Covestro to provide continuous steam powered by intermittent renewable energy at a production facility in Northern Germany, the construction of a “clean utilities core” to supply companies in Denmark-based industrial park GreenLab with renewables-powered high pressure steam to green and circular industrial park in Denmark, and a decarbonizations project for a European producer in the food and beverage sector that charges from on-site and off-site solar.

Mario Fernandez, Head of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst said:

“Rondo’s technology offers industry a unique opportunity to decarbonize with inexpensive renewable electricity. Rondo’s deployment is crucial at a time when European manufacturers are urgently looking for ways to eliminate their dependence on natural gas.”

The new funding follows an announcement last week by Rondo of an investment and partnership with fashion and design brands company H&M Group aimed at applying Rondo’s industrial decarbonization solution to help address the emissions footprint of H&M’s supply chain.