There’s a surge of collaborative effort towards sustainable innovations amongst companies recognizing the imperative to combat climate change. A striking example of green ingenuity is taking shape within Berlin’s repurposed airport, Tegel, now a bustling tech hub.
Rethinking Energy Storage with Heat Storage Berlin
Heat Storage Berlin stands out in the realm of eco-friendly solutions, thanks to its unique approach to storing excess renewable energy. Ulrich Prochaska, the company’s founder and CEO, outlines their vision to Euronews Green, explaining that their technology can supply industries with continuous steam, harnessing clean energies.
Confronting Global Warming Head-On
Prochaska’s invention is driven by the urgency of tackling global warming, which has already hit alarming levels. The technology targets the cessation of fossil fuel use by storing unused electricity as heat, thereby offering an alternative energy source that can alleviate the stress on the energy grid.
A Cost-Efficient Breakthrough
Unlike a conventional heat pump, which yields a four to one ratio of heat from electricity, the novel system designed by Heat Storage Berlin demands a mere four hours of electricity for an entire day’s heat provision. Stationed in Tegel’s former cargo sector, their prototype demonstrates the potential for substantial cost savings and efficiency gains.
The Prospects for High-Temperature Industries
Ulrich envisions the adaptation of his high-temperature heat storages to sectors such as brewing, paper milling, and textile manufacturing, where sustained high temperatures are essential for operations.
Describing their product’s longevity and sustainability, Ulrich says, “Our high-temperature storage is a very simple product. […] So, a storage [device] can easily serve for 40 years and longer.” This durability is showcased in their current deployment of the technology: a climate-neutral pizza oven at Tegel.
Delicious Collaboration with BRLO Brewery
Beyond pizza, Euronews Green hints at the need for beverages, which BRLO Brewery, also based in Berlin, intends to provide using second-hand energy in cooperation with Heat Storage Berlin. Their future brewery will harness neighbor-generated energy for their brewing process, exemplifying a commitment to sustainable practices in the food and beverage industry.
An Incubator for Sustainable Solutions
Over 200 employees from various startups at GUT Am Flughafen 1 work collectively on the development of future cities. This collaboration hub, once part of TXL airport, aggregates visionaries in renewable energies, the circular economy, and sustainable construction, demonstrating the profound synergy possible in the fight against climate change.
Marc Bernath, managing director of GUT Am Flughafen 1, told Euronews Green about the hub’s pioneering collective of 17 startups since 2022, all driven to engineer solutions for a sustainable urban future. The expansive 500-hectare site stands as one of Europe’s premier urban development projects with a clear focus on environmentally progressive initiatives.
