CADEhas participated in the design, installation and monitoring of a solid thermal energy storage system integrated with concentrated solar energy at an industrial plant in Cyprus. The operational experience accumulated since 2018 provides valuable insight into the real-world performance of this technology and its ability to increase flexibility in industrial heat supply.
Solid thermal energy storage for industrial heat
The energy transition presents a specific challenge for industry: converting the availability of renewable energy into solutions capable of meeting thermal demand continuously, efficiently and economically.
In this context, thermal energy storage systems (TES, Thermal Energy Storage) make it possible to decouple heat generation from heat consumption and use available energy at different times.
When the final energy demand is thermal, storing heat directly avoids intermediate energy conversion stages. This capability is particularly relevant in industrial processes supplied by solar energy, where heat generation varies depending on the available solar irradiation.
The EDITOR solid thermal energy storage project in Cyprus
The EDITOR project was developed within the international SOLAR-ERA.NET initiative to cover part of the thermal demand of the KEAN beverage factory in Limassol, Cyprus, by making use of the local solar resource.
CADE Soluciones participated in the design, installation and monitoring of the system.
The installation connects a parabolic trough solar collector field to the industrial plant through a TES unit based on solid storage materials. The first storage unit in the project was commissioned in 2018, with a storage capacity of 600 kWh and a charging and discharging power of 75 kW.
Solar thermal integration and solid thermal energy storage
The EDITOR project was developed within the international SOLAR-ERA.NET initiative to support the thermal demand of the KEAN beverage factory in Limassol, Cyprus, by making use of the local solar resource. CADE Soluciones participated in the design, installation and monitoring of the system.
The installation connects a parabolic trough solar collector field to the industrial plant through a TES unit based on solid storage materials. The first storage unit in the project was commissioned in 2018, with a storage capacity of 600 kWh and a charging and discharging power of 75 kW.
How a solid thermal energy storage system works
uring periods of solar availability, the collector field supplies the thermal demand of the plant while charging the storage system in parallel. When solar irradiation can no longer provide the required thermal power, the TES system discharges the stored energy and maintains the heat supply for up to eight hours, according to the design conditions.
This configuration makes it possible to use surplus solar energy and extend the thermal autonomy of the installation beyond direct solar production hours, reducing the need for auxiliary natural gas-based heat generation during this period.
Operational results of the thermal energy storage system
Since its commissioning in 2018, the EDITOR system has remained available for continuous operation through 2026, generating a database that enables analysis of the plant’s actual operating behaviour.
During active operation, the cycles remain within an operating temperature range of 150 °C to 350 °C and adapt to seasonal variations. Values below 150 °C shown in the operating record correspond to periods in which the system is shut down.
Avoided emissions and scale-up potential
Calculations performed over a one-year period indicate average avoided emissions of 122.4 kg CO₂ per day in summer and 61.2 kg CO₂ per day in winter, using equivalent natural gas-based heat generation as the reference case. In addition to these avoided operational emissions, further reductions may be achieved through the selection of materials and construction solutions with a lower carbon footprint.
The modular configuration of the system facilitates its adaptation to other plants and industrial sectors. The experience accumulated through EDITOR provides a design, implementation and optimisation basis for new solid thermal energy storage solutions and for the development of a new generation of SolidTES systems.
The experience gained from the EDITOR project demonstrates the potential of solid thermal energy storage as a solution for integrating solar energy into industrial processes and increasing flexibility in heat supply.
Raúl Robledo Cabezuela
Innovation Manager | AnemIOT / SolidTES Solution Manager • Technology Area
