Industrial heat and power solutions provider Antora Energy has announced ambitious plans for a massive 5.8 GWh thermal battery storage project in Kansas. Once completed, the installation is anticipated to become one of the largest battery storage systems in the world. The major clean energy initiative has secured robust financial backing from prominent institutional investors, including Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Grok Ventures, marking a significant milestone in the global energy transition and the deployment of scalable industrial decarbonization technologies.
The groundbreaking battery storage project will be located at renewable fuel producer Pratt Energy’s advanced biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. Alongside the announcement of the sprawling facility, Antora also revealed a landmark offtake agreement to supply continuous, around-the-clock energy to Pratt Energy, laying the groundwork for deep operational decarbonization at the site.
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in California, Antora specializes in the development of innovative thermal batteries designed to tackle hard-to-abate industrial sectors. The company’s proprietary technology works by capturing low-cost, intermittent electricity—typically generated from renewable sources like wind and solar—and storing it as heat within highly insulated blocks of solid carbon. This stored thermal energy can then be delivered around the clock on demand, serving either as high-temperature industrial heat or being converted back into electricity. This capability addresses one of the most persistent challenges in the modern energy transition: providing reliable, 24/7 power and heat to heavy industry without relying on fossil fuels.
The third-party equity financing for the multi-gigawatt-hour Kansas project was led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), operating through its dedicated credit platform investments. The high-profile investment syndicate also included participation from Australian climate-focused investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP). The involvement of these major institutional players highlights a growing appetite within private equity and sustainable finance markets for advanced energy storage technologies that go beyond traditional lithium-ion chemistry, particularly solutions tailored to heavy industry and long-duration storage needs.
Reiner Boehning, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, emphasized the technical and economic viability that drew the firm to the venture. Boehning noted that Antora has successfully demonstrated something rare in the clean tech sector: sound technology, compelling economic fundamentals, and a clear, repeatable path to deployment at scale. That rare combination of attributes provided CIP with the strong conviction needed to partner with Antora on this monumental infrastructure project.
Under the terms of the newly finalized offtake agreement, Antora is scheduled to begin supplying clean energy from the massive 5.8 GWh thermal battery system to Pratt Energy starting in 2027. The mechanics of the facility will involve taking surplus or low-cost electricity from the grid and converting it into thermal energy stored inside solid carbon blocks. This stored heat will then be continuously routed to the biorefinery to support its industrial processes.
Leadership from both companies stressed that the project will deliver mutual benefits, significantly improving Pratt Energy’s operational efficiency and product competitiveness in an increasingly carbon-conscious global market. Furthermore, the integration of the thermal storage system directly supports Pratt’s corporate roadmap toward producing 100% zero-carbon-intensity ethanol, setting a new benchmark for sustainability in the renewable fuels sector.
David Bierman, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Antora Energy, highlighted the broader regional and economic advantages of the project for the local community and the state of Kansas. Bierman pointed out that the partnership directly meets rising energy demand in Kansas without placing an undue burden on local infrastructure or increasing power bills for local residents and businesses. He added that the biorefinery project is actively creating new jobs and spurring valuable local investment while operating responsibly and avoiding any strain on the essential resources that the surrounding community depends upon.
The initiative comes at a time when industrial facilities across the United States are increasingly seeking innovative ways to curb emissions, manage energy costs, and secure reliable power supplies in the face of fluctuating energy markets and tightening environmental standards. By converting renewable electricity into stable, high-temperature thermal energy on a massive multi-gigawatt-hour scale, the Pratt Energy project demonstrates how advanced private equity backing can successfully scale next-generation climate technologies from the laboratory to industrial reality.
