About SEHRENE

In March 2023, the European Commission introduced the Net Zero Industry Act, aiming to manufacture 40% of Europe’s strategic energy technologies within Europe by 2030. This ambitious directive encompasses eight key technologies, focusing on energy storage, heat pumps (HP), renewable electricity (RE), and grid technologies. This initiative was designed to boost Europe’s capability to attract international investments, reflecting the trend seen in 2022 where energy—especially energy storage including hydrogen and batteries—dominated investment in emerging deep-tech sectors. However, Europe’s transition to RE necessitates substantial advancements in medium- and long-duration energy storage solutions.

SEHRENE brings together 5 R&D teams, 1 Energy system plant manufacturer, 1 Renewable Energy producer, 1 Distribution Systems operator, 1 ceramics company, 1 SME developing decision-support tools, and 1 SME for dissemination and communication. Driven by these insights, SEHRENE proposes an innovative solution for the storage of heat and electricity: the Electro-Thermal Energy Storage (ETES) system. SEHRENE’s ETES features a groundbreaking architecture that addresses the primary technological challenge of traditional ETES systems—reduced round-trip efficiencies (RTE) due to irreversibilities as temperature pinch in heat exchangers. Our approach includes several pioneering innovations to enhance the efficiency of “power-to-heat” and “heat-to-power” conversions.

A central component of SEHRENE’s ETES is its novel Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. This system functions dually as a condenser and an evaporator—serving as a condenser during charging and an evaporator during discharging. This versatility allows the TES to recover Industrial Waste Heat and Renewable Heat (IWRH), acting as a thermal booster to enhance electricity production and improve RTE.

SEHRENE’s mission is to provide a viable and efficient solution for energy storage, contributing to Europe’s goal of a sustainable, renewable energy future. Through our innovative ETES technology, we aim to facilitate the continent’s shift to renewable energy and support the decarbonization of industrial sectors, paving the way for a resilient and green energy infrastructure.